NEIL Lennon last night admitted he would like to emulate Arsene Wenger’s remarkable longevity at Arsenal and remain in charge at Celtic for the next 20 years.

Lennon, who led the Glasgow club to a third consecutive domestic treble this season after taking over from Brendan Rodgers on a temporary basis in February, was confirmed as the new manager at Parkhead yesterday.

The Northern Irishman, who spent four years in the dugout in the East End between 2010 and 2014, has signed a 12-month rolling contract and will be assisted by John Kennedy, Damian Duff and Stevie Woods.

Many Celtic supporters had hoped to see a more high-profile appointment and had been excited when the Scottish champions were linked with coaches like Rafael Benitez, Jose Mourinho and Andre Villas-Boas in recent weeks.

However, Lennon, whose side won the league three times and the Scottish Cup twice during his first tenure, is delighted to have landed the position full-time and stressed he is better placed to cope with the demands of the role than he was first time around.

“I know what I’m going into,” he said. “I know there is going to be pressure, but there is huge pressure when you are in your first year and people are sort of doubting you.

“I am 10 years down the line. I have won trophies here, promotions elsewhere and developed good players along the way. I am far more rounded now. Four years was a long time. I definitely missed it. You miss the excitement.”

He said: “It is a difficult job and I am walking in some great shoes in this job. I am standing alongside some greats and I don’t take this privilege lightly at all.

“It’s hard work, but I believed I would come back in some capacity one day. It’s five years in the making and it’s very personal to me to get the chance to do it again.

“I left on really good terms the last time, with no guarantees. I went through a difficult time professionally, but it has come full circle and I have another chance. You get a huge kick out of that for digging in.

“This job doesn’t get given to you - these are elite people in their field. When they choose you, you must be doing something good.”

The 47-year-old admitted it was an ambition to remain in the Celtic job for as long as Wenger, who was manager of Arsenal between 1996 and 2018, had done.

“I’d love to,” he said. “If that could be feasible, then, yes, no question. You just never know. It is very rare in the modern game now. The modern coach maybe has five or six years maximum these days.

“Everyone is looking for something else or that bit of freshness. But if things are going well, you just never know. I am not saying I am going to be here for the next 20 years. But if I am, I would be delighted.”

Lennon expects to have a say about the appointment of a director of football if, as has been mooted, that is a route Celtic want to go down. However, he stressed that bringing in a replacement for head of recruitment Lee Congerton, who left for Leicester City last month, is the priority.

“If that (a director of football) was to be the case, I’d have some input in that and be briefed on what is happening,” he said. “But initially, we need a head of recruitment. Peter (chief executive Lawwell) and the board are working on that.

“We might add one more to the backroom staff. I’m delighted with the backroom team we have here right now so we may add one, we may not.”