Neil Lennon has issued a stark warning about the damage caused by leaks within the Celtic camp, saying they breed mistrust and paranoia in the dressing room, leaving the manager questioning everyone.
Brendan Rodgers recently hit out at the individual responsible for leaking his starting line-ups before matches, accusing them of undermining the club.
While acknowledging that such breaches are an unfortunate reality in today’s digital age, Rodgers is determined to put a stop to it.
Celtic’s team was leaked online ahead of both their Premiership win over Dundee and the 6-0 hammering of Aberdeen in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final.
Rodgers has vowed to find the source, and Lennon, who faced similar issues during his time as Celtic boss, knows all too well the disruption it can cause.
“It’s something I faced at the club as well as Brendan Rodgers in his first spell, it’s really disappointing,” he told OLGB.
“You do all your preparation and you name the team the day before the game, and then somebody’s leaking it.
“That can give the opposition the upper hand or some sort of advantage. You have to go a long way to get an advantage over Celtic at the minute, but that still hurts. Knowing that somebody within the building or within the club is wanting to leak the team for whatever reason, whether that be financial or not, it’s very disappointing.”
Lennon stressed the psychological toll it can take on the squad and staff alike.
“When you’re working hard behind the scenes, you want some privacy, especially at a big club like Celtic. It causes mistrust and paranoia sometimes. You’d subconsciously be looking at innocent people and wondering if it’s them, and it creates a bit of an uncomfortable atmosphere which is totally unnecessary.”
Lennon added: “Especially when the team is going so well at the minute and there’s a connection between the supporters and the team that everyone’s enjoying. It’s disappointing.”