WILL Neil Lennon seek to surround himself with Hoops heroes as he attempts to put Bolton back on track?

Watch this space. January should provide the answer.

Certainly, the man who has just stepped back into football as boss of the bottom club in the Championship would feel more comfortable working with people he already knows.

Hence the reason Johan Mjallby and Garry Parker have been brought into the Macron Stadium set-up to become re-united with the man they helped find his feet in management at Celtic.

Lennon has the advantage of knowing who, among the Bhoys he left behind at Parkhead, might be amenable to a move south, and what it would take to prize them away from what, for some, is a Paradise lost.

More importantly, after up to four years working with them, he knows who has the qualities required to cut it in a battle to avoid relegation and push Bolton into a promotion-challenging position.

Asked if he planned to raid his old stomping ground in the next window, Lennon was diplomatically coy and said: "You never say never. There are some great players up there who I know very well.

"But I don't want to tarnish any reputation I have with the club, or with Peter (Lawwell), by upsetting them in any way.

"But we will be looking, hopefully, to strengthen in January. And we'll be looking, not just at Celtic, but at many, many other places."

Suddenly, Lennon has made the transition from gamekeeper to poacher, having worked so hard to keep the predators from the door when he was trying to convince players they would be better served staying in Scotland and playing in the Champions League than going over the border in search of the brighter lights and heavier pay packets.

Kris Commons - still to agree a new deal with Celtic and the subject of continued speculation that his future is back in the country of his birth - would be available to sign a pre-contract agreement at the end of the year.

Leigh Griffiths' lack of game time under Ronny Deila could also make him a target for a return south.

Liam Henderson is another who has found opportunities short to non-existent since Lennon - who gave him his big break - parted company with the Hoops.

Of course, Bolton's debt means they are not in a position to hand Lennon millions to revamp a side which has badly under-achieved since falling from the top flight when Owen Coyle was in charge, and which struggled to bounce back under the guidance of his successor Dougie Freedman.

And, until the window opens again in January, Lennon must attempt to stop the rot - one win in 11 league games - with the players he has inherited.

"Everyone here is starting with a clean slate," is his promise to the Trotters wondering what is about to hit them.

Lennon does not try to underplay the size of the task he has taken on, and the importance of getting it right if the opportunity to manage at an even higher level in England - which remains his aim - is not to slip beyond his reach.

Saturday's game away to Birmingham is where it will all begin in chapter two of Lennon, The Manager, and he plans to use the days between now and then imposing his winning mentality on the dispirited squad.

"I am just going to try to make an impact with them straight way and try to put a bit of spark back," said the man relieved to finally be back in the saddle after five months as an unemployed manager.

"It is going to take a bit of work and a bit of time to get my ideas across to the players. But I want to hit the ground running and get some results as quickly as possible.

"The short-term aim is to get ourselves out of the bottom three as quickly as we can and go from there. There are 35 games to go, and, in some countries, that's a full season."

Lennon is time-served when it comes to fire-fighting. He stepped into the hotseat when Tony Mowbray - ironically, a failed candidate for the job Lennon now holds - was kicked out of Celtic following a poor 10 months in charge.

His record of winning the final eight league games of that already-doomed campaign confirmed he can make an instant impact, though the shock of losing the Scottish Cup semi-final to Ross County also underlined he was very much a rookie.

The four years since then knocked off many of the rough edges and handed him the kind of fast-track education not available at any other club.

His decision to up sticks after winning this third title is still considered by many to be a gamble, and the time it has taken to get back into gainful employment appears to back this up.

Certainly, the relief is clear when Lennon reflects on his prolonged job-hunting, which, before Bolton made their move, appeared to be carrying him to Saudi Arabia. The facilities are fantastic, and I was taken aback. I was blown away by the quality of it all," said the 43-year-old.

"It's fantastic to be back, and I feel really excited about it. I enjoyed the break, but I was getting really itchy for the last month or so.

"I had 14 unbelievable years at Celtic, and it is a magnificent club and I loved my time there. I just felt it was time for me to go."

Given what has happened at Celtic since his departure -crashing out of qualification for the Champions League not once but twice, and trailing in sixth place in the title race as his successor, Ronny Deila, takes one step forward followed by one step back with over a quarter of the campaign gone - there is a school of thought that, like many before him, it is only now he is no longer there that Lennon's real value is truly appreciated.

However, he is in no hurry to join those putting pressure on Deila, appreciating just how tough it is to deal with the expectation which previous success ensures goes with the job.

Lennon said: "It's never easy winning games, and we did it consistently. I worked under Martin O'Neill, and he changed the face of Scottish football. Then with Gordon Strachan, I had a great education under him as well."

Lennon added: "They have got some great players, and once Ronny establishes himself they will get a consistent run of form going. It is obviously disappointing going out of the Champions League because it is such a big thing for Celtic, with no Rangers there.

"But it will all come back when Rangers return and the old rivalry will resume again."