Neil Lennon: Celtic need a new Lubo Moravcik

Nov 16 2008 By Mark Guidi

LUBO MORAVCIK will roll into Parkhead next month to be at a special tribute dinner in his honour for 500 people.

But Celtic coach Neil Lennon admits he wishes the Slovakian magician could still pull on a jersey and thrill 60,000 on the park Moravcik, 43, quit the Hoops in the summer of 2002 after four fine seasons in which he won two SPL titles.

But Lennon feels Celtic have never managed to replace him with Shaun Maloney about the closest they have in the squad at the moment.

The Parkhead first-team coach has been impressed with Maloney since his return north after 18 months at Aston Villa but admits Moravcik is still a class apart from the Scotland star.

Lennon said: "Lubo is probably the best two-footed player I've ever played with and is right up there with Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo.

"It was a pleasure to play with him at Celtic.

"He was so clean and clinical when on the ball. He could score goals, make a telling pass and was also deadly from free-kicks and corners.

"Unfortunately I don't think we've ever found a guy to replace him.

"That said, playmakers of his ilk don't grow on trees and you'd probably need more than £10million to work with in the transfer market to come close.

"We have top ball players such as Shunsuke Nakamura, Aiden McGeady and Maloney.

"I'm not comparing Shaun with Lubo but he has a chance to get to the kind of level Lubo operated at.

"Shaun can score goals and give the team another dimension. He's probably able to play the central role Lubo carried out so well."

Lennon believes Moravcik's finest moment came on April 29, 2001 when he scored a double to help Celtic to a 3-0 win over Rangers at Ibrox.

Henrik Larsson grabbed the third - the Swede's 50th goal of the season - with the win helping Celtic secure the treble in Martin O'Neill's first campaign at Parkhead.

The game also marked Maloney's top-team debut with the then unknown 18-year-old coming off the bench to replace Tommy Johnson.

Yet Rangers controlled the first half that afternoon and Lennon thought O'Neill had lost the plot when he issued his half-time team-talk. He smiled: "Rangers had three men in central midfield and were on top.

"I think it was Barry Ferguson, Jorg Albertz and Fernando Ricksen in there for them.

"Martin asked Paul Lambert and myselfwhy Rangerswere in control and we explained they had an extra man in the middle of the park.

"He said 'Okay, this is the way to change it.

"You and Paul work to win possession and when you get the ball just give it to Lubo. That'll sort out the problem'.

"I thought 'f****** hell, the luxury player gets out of putting in a shift'.

"But Lubo went on to score two goals and was absolutely brilliant.

"He was also outstanding the night we beat Juventus 4-3 at Parkhead in the Champions League. He ran amok and was such a clever footballer.

"I only wish I had been with him when he was playing in his late twenties instead of when he was in the final year or two of his career.

"You've got to give credit to Dr Jozef Venglos for bringing Lubo to Celtic for around £300,000. What a bargain that turned out to be."

In the past week at Celtic's training centre at Lennoxtown, Hoops gaffer Gordon Strachan banned tackling to avoid any more injuries to his already depleted squad.

Moravcik may well have enjoyed the extra freedom such a set-up would have allowed him on a day-to-day basis but Lennon revealed the Slovak wasn't afraid to ruffle a few feathers when he felt like it.

The 37-year-old former Celtic captain said: "Lubo used to snap in training.

"He hated losing games and hated team-mates misplacing passes.

"Suddenly this usually mild-mannered guy would let rip with swear words in his broken English accent. He'd sometimes swear in French.

"I didn't like it as I felt it was my job to swear at the lads!

"But Lubo had the total respect of both management and players. We missed him when he left, not only as a footballer but as a person.

"Lubo is the kind of player all footballers can learn from.

"Now that I'm on the coaching and management side of the game I'd love to have a guy like him in every side I'm involved with.

"He'll be over for his tribute night in a few weeks' time and I'm looking forward to catching up with him.

"The Celtic fans will be out in force to see him again and it'll be a nice trip down memory lane.

"I'm hoping we can go on to produce a few more Lubo-type players at this club."

LUBO'S tribute dinner will take place at the Kerrydale Suite, Celtic Park on Sunday, December 7.

There are still some seats available for this dinnerdance occasion.

Many Parkhead stars from past and present will be there to show their appreciation of Moravcik.

To buy tickets for what will be a special night call the hotline number 0141 551 4366 or e-mail: matchdayhospitality@celticfc.co.uk