Ex-Premier League star in line to beat his former boss to bizarre managerial comeback

MARTIN O’NEILL is reportedly set to be beaten to a new managerial job by one of his former players.

The Northern Irishman had been linked with taking over at Rapid Bucharest.

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But now it is claimed that Neil Lennon is a last minute candidate.

Lennon was most recently let go by Cypriot side Omonia in 2022, despite winning the country’s domestic cup competition.

O’Neill, meanwhile has been out of the dugout since Nottingham Forest sacked him in 2019.

Last month it had also been revealed that O’Neill landed a role at the League Managers’ Association after he was voted in by fellow managers.

O’Neill likely would have turned down the role if he had accepted the position at the Romanian side.

However, the Daily Record have claimed that Rapid Bucharest are in talks with Lennon.

Lennon, 52, enjoyed a successful playing and managing career.

He gained promotion to the Premier League and won two league cups with Leicester City when O’Neill was in charge.

And he went on to win the Scottish league title five times along with reaching the final of the UEFA Cup in 2003.

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Lennon finished his career with 561 club appearances and 40 caps for Northern Ireland.

As a manager, he won an additional five Scottish league titles with Celtic, along with four Scottish Cups and one Scottish League Cup.

But his brief return to England as a manager was not as successful however.

Despite an impressive start at Bolton Wanderers in 2014, he was sacked less than 18 months later with the club at the bottom of the table.

Rapid sports director Daniel Sandu highlighted his idea of what he wants for the club going forward: “We have to figure out exactly what we’re looking for.

“At the moment we are not in a very good place, but I have faith the new management team will reset us and show what Rapid is all about.”