Neil Lennon has revealed he was talked into taking the Dunfermline manager’s job by owner James Bord.
Lennon was presented to the media at East End Park on Tuesday, having signed up to boss the Pars until the end of the season.
The ex-Celtic and Hibs boss admitted he was initially sceptical about succeeding Michael Tidser in the Pars dugout.
But after talking to Bord about the vacancy, Lennon was won over by the former professional Poker player’s persuasive style.
Asked how it felt to be the new Dunfermline manager, he said: “It’s a privilege to start with.
“Last week we had a lot of conversations, with myself, the chairman and the owner and they made a very compelling argument for taking the job.
“There’s an old adage from Sir Alex [Ferguson] where sometimes you pick your owners rather than pick the club.
“I think we’ve got a good one here. I think he’s got, further down the line, really good aspirations for the future of the club.
“I wanted to align myself with that. So I’m excited. Obviously, we’ve a lot of work to do which is not going to happen instantly.
“But I’ve had a good response from the players over the last few days. I’m delighted with their attitude and application and we’re just taking it one day at a time so far.”
On Bord, Lennon added: “The owner’s a very interesting man.
“He’s got ambitions, I detect, to do great things here, but then a lot of owners will say that. It’s backing it up and I think he’ll do that.
“I’ve enjoyed talking to him. He’s different. I’m going to learn from him, there’s no question about that. That appealed to me as well.
“James was so compelling with his offer. He talked me round, if you want to know.
“Obviously, I was very sceptical about taking it, but the conversations we had last week – long conversations – made my mind up.”
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