Once installed at Celtic in 2000, O’Neill’s vow on his first day was to “try to bring some success back to the football club”, which had finished more than 20 points behind Rangers the previous season.
Part of his masterplan, of course, involved Lennon. The problem was that Leicester did not want to sell.
O’Neill first tried to tempt him north in the summer. He did not arrive until December after handing in a transfer request, with Celtic having to part with nearly £6m to get the deal over the line.
The likes of Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton, Alan Thompson, Paul Lambert and Lubo Moravcik were already there. With Lennon added to the mix, the treble was won and the trend was set for a millennium in which Celtic have been Scottish champions 19 times.
Under O’Neill, Lennon won three of his five titles as a player and played in the 2003 Uefa Cup final.
He then steered Celtic to the league title a further five times as manager.
A relationship, and a friendship, forged at Leicester helped Celtic carve out the most successful spell in the club’s domestic history. With Lennon in no doubt about the significance of the upcoming clash on 23 May.
“It’s emotional,” he said. “It could possibly be Martin’s last game as a manager and for me and him to go head to head; I’ve never done it before. It’s a hell of a story.”
The story that started 30 years ago in a dingy flat from which Lennon joked “you had to wipe your feet on the way out” will have its next remarkable chapter at Hampden Park in a Scottish Cup final.
Dunfermline last won the famous old trophy in 1968, three years before Lennon was born.
The Pars’ last final was in 2007 – against Celtic. The Glasgow side won 1-0 in Lennon’s last game for the club as a player.
O’Neill would no doubt sign up for the same outcome right now.
The long friendship will be suspended for the afternoon and the technical areas and touchline will be watched just as eagerly as the action on Hampden’s hallowed turf.
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