Never an individual afraid of asserting himself (on the pitch, or off it), Neil Lennon is not lacking a funny story or two from his days as a player.
Having represented the likes of Crewe Alexandra, Leicester City and Celtic during a career that brought in it's fair share of silverware, the former Northern Ireland international is now well into a managerial career that is ticking along nicely also.
A vital component in driving along the teams he played in, speaking on Graham Hunter's The Big Interview, Lennon recalled a time his forthright behaviour "got him chucked out of an Oasis gig in 1996."
The same year that he joined Leicester City, Lennon did have something about him that the band could have responded warmly too; he had played a solitary game for Manchester City eight years prior as a 17-year-old.
Having watched Oasis all over the country (and named his son Gallagher), Lennon found himself present as they made a home-coming return to City's then ground, Maine Road:
The gig was amazing, as all Oasis gigs were in those days. Happy Mondays were on before them, so you can imagine the carnage.
So, I'd gone with Steve Lomas who was the City captain at the time and a couple of other Leicester players and Irish players.
With his bit of pull, Lomas got the group access backstage where they all got to schmooze with the band and other high-profile names.
The only problem it seemed was that "nobody was talking to Steve":
Steve gets a bit itchy when he's had a bit to drink and he starts fucking looking at me in a funny way.
So, I'm talking to 'Bonehead', who is the bassist with the band, and his Grandfather about Gaelic football, and I see out of the corner of my eye that Lomas is still looking at me.
So I says, 'what's wrong with you?' Next thing, bang, he stuck the head on me.
Ensue a mad scene where Neil Lennon and Steve Lomas begin fighting in the back quarters of Maine Road.
Remembering "the shame" of then being escorted out of the stadium in front of all his musical heroes, Lomas's status as the captain of Manchester City had ensured he would be staying put.
