Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon has tipped Jim McGuinness for bigger and better things with the Scottish champions.

Lennon hired the Donegal manager as a Performance Analyst in November 2012 and, writing in today's Examiner, he said the Parkhead giants are now seeing the fruit of his labour.

But the former Armagh minor footballer hasn't 'forgiven' McGuinness for knocking the Orchard County out at the quarter-final stage of this year's championship.

"We'd often chew the fat for hours about Gaelic football and we've spoken a couple of times since I left during the summer," Lennon writes.

"I'd always have my eye on Armagh and thankfully they now seem to be going in the right direction with Paul Grimley this year and Kieran McGeeney, who I played with as a county minor, now taking over.

"I haven't forgiven Jim for beating Armagh in the quarter-final!"

McGuinness's renowned attention to detail is what impressed Lennon most.

"He's an impressive man but mostly because he prepares very well for whatever role he takes. I know from speaking to him at length that he had everything in order with Donegal this season, from January and February.

"He knew exactly what he wanted to do, when to train the players hard and when to train them harder. Keep them ticking over nicely for the league and then springing for the Ulster championship.

"The Championship is not an easy place. We (with Celtic) have 38 games to win a title. In Gaelic football, you've to get it right on the day. Get it wrong once, and you're in trouble. For Jim, it was really important to get them playing for the occasion.

"He was disappointed with the way the season went last year. In terms of injuries, it was a real killer and he doesn't have the biggest pool to pick from. But the way they have bounced back has been tremendous.

"I must admit, it was a big surprise to me when they beat Dublin. I knew they were going to get out of Ulster okay but that was a major win.

"Clearly, Jim's excellent psychological approach worked wonders and it was a tactically superb game for him. He used the guys really well. Maybe the underdog tag helped.

"I congratulated him on the win afterwards. Having to change so much of his backroom team at the end of last year would have been a big disruption. It would have meant starting anew in many ways but he has shown he can continue in the same vein as Donegal did in 2012.

"I hope to get to the game tomorrow and see him go on and win another All-Ireland.

"He and his players have it in them."

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