SM
Liverpool vs. Villa: 22 hrs 56 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Neil Lennon pays tribute to "friend" Stiliyan Petrov

:Headline: Neil Lennon pays tribute to 'friend' Stiliyan Petrov: ID:83562: from db_amp
Neil Lennon praises the footballing achievements of his retired friend Stiliyan Petrov.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon has said that it was "a pleasure" to play alongside Stiliyan Petrov, who announced his retirement from football on Thursday morning.

Lennon, who considers Petrov a good "friend", hailed the Bulgarian's achievements in the game but admitted that health comes before anything else.

"Obviously it's very sad that Stiliyan has announced his retirement from football," Lennon told the club's official website. "He was a fine footballer and enjoyed a magnificent career at Celtic and Aston Villa, as well as representing and captaining Bulgaria on many occasions.

"First and foremost, of course, is his health, and the news earlier this year that Stiliyan is in remission was a great boost for everyone. I'm sure that Stiliyan's characteristic determination, along with the fact he's surrounded by a loving family, will ensure he's a success in this next stage of his life.

"The words he has spoken today demonstrate his absolute courage and positivity and show exactly the kind of man he is. It was a pleasure to play alongside such a great footballer, but, for me, I'm even luckier to call him my friend."

Petrov announced that he would be focusing on setting up a foundation to help others deal with leukaemia.

amp_article__83562 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2013-05-09 15:26:42:
html db last update - 2013-05-09 15:26:42 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Stiliyan Petrov

Click here for more stories about Aston Villa

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .