FORMER Celtic boss Neil Lennon has raised concerns that football managers are not receiving enough mental health support.

The Dunfermline Athletic manager warns that the intense pressure of results, public abuse and the constant threat of dismissal can take a heavy psychological toll.

Speaking on Unmasked with Dr Basra, a podcast created by Glasgow-headquartered psychiatry practice Diverse Diagnostics, the Dunfermline Athletic manager questioned whether football is doing enough to protect those in charge of its teams.

Lennon, who has previously spoken openly about his own experiences of depression, believes greater attention is needed on the pressures facing managers, whose performances and livelihoods are judged and scrutinised publicly every week.

The former Northern Ireland international, who won multiple league titles as Celtic manager, said support for players had improved considerably over the past two decades, with clubs increasingly providing access to counsellors and psychological services. However, he questioned whether managers were receiving the same consideration.

Lennon said: “I do worry about managers sometimes, are they getting enough support because they are thrown out there, we bare our soul every weekend in front of the public.

“That’s our livelihood, our team is a personification of us. If they do well, yeah, you get a pat on the back. If you don’t do well then the abuse, the criticism comes.”

He suggested the speed and intensity of modern criticism had added another layer of pressure to a profession where results can determine whether someone remains employed from one week to the next.

Lennon added: “And a lot of it is wrong. A lot of it is way over the top now in this day and age. And a lot of it is instant.”

While recognising that the League Managers Association offers welfare support and educational resources, Lennon pointed out that not every manager belongs to the organisation.

His comments raise questions about the responsibility of individual clubs to ensure managers have access to appropriate mental health support, particularly when results deteriorate and criticism intensifies.

Lennon acknowledged that dismissal is an unavoidable reality of football management and that clubs must ultimately make decisions based on performance. However, he stressed the importance of having supportive people around managers as they deal with the demands of the job.

Discussing his own experience of losing managerial positions and advice he received from his former coach Martin O’Neill, Lennon said: “When you first lose your job, you’re thinking, oh, this is, you know, you want everything to be perfect. You want to have the clear run.

“And Martin [O’Neill] said to me at one stage, ‘there’s one thing you’re guaranteed about this job, Neil, and you’re going to get the sack. And then once you get the first one and you realise it’s not the end of the world, life still goes on’.”

Lennon explained that experience had helped him develop a healthier perspective on the uncertainty of management, including learning to separate his identity and personal wellbeing from his professional results.

He added: “What I’ve learned to do is find that work life balance a lot better and that’s why I’m a lot more happier and more comfortable in my own skin as a manager as well, but that comes with everything else in life, with experience.”

Dr Jagdish Basra, host of Unmasked, said: “Football managers work in an environment where their decisions are constantly scrutinised, their performance is judged publicly and their job security can change almost overnight.

“That level of pressure can have a serious impact on someone’s mental health, particularly when there is little opportunity to switch off.

“We’ve made real progress in recognising that players need psychological support, but we have to ask whether the same consideration is being given to managers. They are expected to lead others through difficult periods, often while dealing with enormous pressure themselves.

“The ability to cope with stress shouldn’t be confused with being immune to it. Clubs have a responsibility to look after the wellbeing of their managers just as they would any other member of staff.

“Access to confidential, independent support should be a normal part of working in professional football, rather than something people only seek when they reach breaking point.”

The discussion also featured Nigel Best, former Irish Football Association coaching education manager, who helped introduce psychology into UEFA coaching education courses.

The podcast explored how football’s approach to psychological wellbeing has developed and whether coaches and managers are equipped to cope with the pressures placed upon them.