Dunfermline manager Neil Lennon has backed brothers Andy and John Tod to earn Scotland caps in the future. Lennon made the prediction during a public interview at a packed Carnegie Hall last week as part of the Outwith Festival in the town.
He described the pair as talented lads with the right attributes for the international stage. "They're talented lads. I think both of them will play for Scotland, if they do the right things," Lennon said. The manager offered a detailed assessment of each brother's style, noting their father, also named Andy Tod, was an opponent he faced in the 2004 Scottish Cup final while playing for Celtic.
Assessing the Tods
Lennon characterised John Tod as a player with a ferocious will to win. "He's a bit gangly, he's like Bambi, but he's got a ferocious will to win and he's talented," he said. In contrast, he labelled Andy Tod as a super-intelligent and more cerebral footballer, while joking that John was perhaps not the brightest. The manager's belief in their potential shows the value he places on the squad he inherited upon his permanent appointment in May 2025.
Pride in the hotseat
Lennon stated he is very content in the East End hotseat and feels a strong connection to the club's history. "I'm really proud to be the manager," he told the audience. He spoke of seeing paintings and caricatures of club legends like Jock Stein, Alex Ferguson and Jim Leishman around the ground, and said he enjoys that sense of heritage. He also expressed love for the area and the people he works with, citing a strong sense of loyalty from his players.
The manager said there are no prima donnas in his squad, describing them as a good, honest bunch of lads. He admitted they drive him up the wall sometimes but make him really happy on other occasions. That bond was central to last season's memorable Scottish Cup run, which Lennon ranked among his best career achievements.
Cup run reflection
Lennon highlighted the semi-final victory over Falkirk at Hampden as a pinnacle, booking Dunfermline's first final appearance in 19 years. Having won cup finals at Wampden and Hampden as a player, he said the feeling of winning a game of football remains the main aim, not money. He said the pride the players brought to the city in the summer was incalculable and that he felt ten feet tall being part of it.
The manager conceded that the team handled everything really well up until the final, where he thinks they just got a bit spooked. Despite that ending, the campaign has built a platform for the current season. Dunfermline currently sit sixth in the Scottish Championship with six points from five games, their form reading one win, three draws and one loss. They are seven points behind early leaders Stenhousemuir.
Their most recent outing was a 1-1 draw away to Arbroath on September 5th, where Josh Cooper equalised in the 67th minute. The team's standings position reflects a solid if unspectacular start as they seek greater consistency. Fans can check the upcoming schedule, including the next home match against Queen's Park on January 9th, on the club's fixtures page. Lennon's focus will be on translating the promise shown by players like the Tod brothers into more points as the season progresses.
