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Lennon vows to beat Omonia players to Ronaldo's shirt and hopes Man United star plays

talksport.com, 6 October 2022, 10:14
Neil Lennon has always belonged to a dying breed of no-nonsense football men.

But all that could change on Thursday night as Cypriot minnows Omonia welcome Manchester United to town in the Europa League.

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Celtic icon Lennon manages Omonia these days and joined talkSPORT ahead of the biggest night in the club's history.

The Northern Irishman revealed a number of his players will be lining up against their heroes as the GSP Stadium hosts the Premier League giants.

Cristiano Ronaldo, football's all-time leading goalscorer, is likely to start for the Red Devils after being snubbed for the 6-3 defeat at Manchester City on Sunday.

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The demand for the Portugal legend's shirt is always high - and Lennon does not want his players to get carried away with the occasion.

So he has taken matters into his own hands.

"We've got some players here, particularly the Cypriot boys, who will be Manchester United fans," Lennon told talkSPORT.

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"You don't want them star-struck in the tunnel and losing total focus.

"I'm a bit old fashioned when it comes to swapping shirts at half-time and all that baloney.

"[But] I've already put three orders in for Ronaldo's shirt!"

Lennon admits he would love Ronaldo to start, just to watch him play live one more time.

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But that doesn't mean the Omonia boss isn't plotting a potential upset.

"To be honest, I really hope he [Ronaldo] does play," Lennon continued.

"For me, he is one of the greatest ever, and I would love to see him play live one more time.

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"We might not get the opportunity much longer. It will be fantastic but we have to play the game."

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