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Celtic captain Neil Lennon has thanked the club for their support after he completed his three-match suspension with the win at Livingston on Saturday.
The former Northern Ireland international was banned by the Scottish Football Association following his altercation with referee Stuart Dougal after the Old Firm defeat at Rangers in August.
The suspension was met with disappointment in some quarters, including match official Dougal.
The 34-year-old insists he received a "fair hearing" from the SFA disciplinary panel but was concerned at the "furore" which followed the announcement of his ban.
Lennon told the Evening Times: "It was what we were hoping for. The furore before and after the hearing was just so over the top.
"Now it's been done, a lot of people have been left with egg on their faces.
"At the end of the day, the SFA took the case on its merits and punished me accordingly.
"I didn't want to be in that position in the first place.
"I didn't want to put the club or the manager or any of the board or the chief executive through any of that, but I have to say the support was fantastic from day one.
"I'm just pleased to put it all behind me and I'm looking forward to getting back playing."
Lennon believes Celtic can put an end to Hearts' unbeaten start to the Bank of Scotland Premier League when the Edinburgh club arrive at Parkhead on October 15.
The Jambos dropped their first points of the SPL season with the 2-2 draw at Falkirk on Sunday.
But, with the Hoops currently enjoying a five-game winning run in the SPL, the midfielder is confident Celtic can knock Hearts off their stride.
Lennon added: "Hearts have made a fantastic start and a lot of people are tipping them for the championship.
"The league is our priority and we always want to be the top dog in Scotland.
"In order to do that, you have to beat the best and, if that means beating Hearts at home, then that's what we've got to do. It would be nice to burst their bubble.
"They've made a great start, but, slowly and surely, we have been getting to a level that we expect and, hopefully, we can kick on from there." |
Source: Sporting Life |
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