NEIL Lennon is keen to boost Hibernian’s chances of making a major impact on their return to Ladbrokes Premiership this season - by landing his former Celtic players Kris Commons AND Anthony Stokes.

Lennon has made a “very good offer” to Stokes, who has parted company with Blackburn Rovers by mutual consent after an unhappy spell at Ewood Park, and is optimistic the striker will accept it.

Meanwhile, the Irishman has admitted he is also hopeful that Kris Commons, who is a free agent after leaving Parkhead back in May, will return to Easter Road when he recovers from back surgery.

“If I was Anthony, I would be coming here," said Lennon, as he looked ahead to this evening’s Betfred Cup match against Arbroath at Easter Road.

“He knows he’s a hero after the Scottish Cup final, he knows the management team and the majority of the players and he knows we can get the best out of him.

“At this juncture of his career, I think he needs to play, and play for a club that wants him here and for a manager who knows him inside out and can deal with all his little issues - because we’ve all had them!”

Lennon added: “At the minute, we have left it with Anthony. It is his decision. We might come back and review it, but at the minute we have left it with him.

“We’ve made him a strong offer, a very, very good offer from the club’s point of view. We’re certainly not holding a gun to his head, at the minute - although I might eventually if he doesn’t hurry up!

“We would like an answer sooner rather than later, but it’s like every other deal. There may be other options for him, I don’t know. We have other options to look at. If the deal doesn’t materialise then we move on.”

Lennon is currently facing a major problem. Who is going to fill the considerable void left by Jason Cummings, his leading scorer last season, in the months ahead? He admitted that landing Stokes would help his team hugely on their return to the Ladbrokes Premiership.

“They’re always at a premium those types of players,” he said. “We’ve lost Jason, so we’re looking to replace that volume of goals.”

“Anthony’s experienced and he has won a lot of trophies in Scotland, obviously with Hibs as well as Celtic. He had a great time when he was younger at Falkirk, a fantastic couple of seasons there. So, the environment suits him and gets the best out of him.

“He’s played in big games for Celtic, whether that be European games or Old Firm games, and he’s still got plenty in him.”

There are many who feel that Stokes will never fulfil the potential which he showed when he sprang to prominence at Falkirk 11 years ago. He has had numerous opportunities to prove himself at a high level, both in England and Scotland, and has invariably squandered them. Time is rapidly running out for the player.

Lennon, though, feels that Stokes, who has won nine caps for his country, has a great deal left to offer and can even force his way back into the Republic of Ireland set-up by joining Hibs and performing well in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

“I still think he can reach his peak,” he said. “He’s a very talented player and he scored a lot of very important goals for me over the four years I was at Celtic. And he contributed to a lot of goals as well. His partnership with (Gary) Hooper was spectacular at times.

“They were just two really good footballers who understood each other. If you look at his performance in the cup final, that is 14 months ago now, but it shows he’s a big-game player and he likes the big games. It really floats his boat.

“Coming here, there would be plenty of big games to get his teeth in to. Whether he would get that pressurised situation going somewhere else, I don’t know.

“He’s happy here. He was pretty happy at Celtic as well. Certainly in Scotland, he’s at his happiest. At this juncture of his career, he needs to get back to playing. He’s well out of the Republic of Ireland fold now. He’s not played enough football to even get himself a mention for that. Possibly he could come again for that, but he needs to find the right environment.

Lennon, who is poised to add Lithuanian internationalist Vykinta Slivka to his squad this week when the Juventus midfielder receives clearance from his Turin club to join on loan, is also optimistic that Kris Commons will rejoin Hibs when he recovers from back surgery.

The 33-year-old, who spent a successful spell on loan at Easter Road last season, is a free agent, but has not decided whether he is going to play on or retire. His former manager, though, is confident he will choose to continue playing when he regains full fitness.

He confirmed he has offered the midfielder the use of the Championship champions’ training facilities at East Mains outside Edinburgh to aid his rehabilitation.

“I think he’s a brilliant player when he’s fit,” he said. “He can make the difference. I have a good relationship with him and I can talk freely about him now he’s out of contract. I think again, at his age, he still has plenty to offer. I think he should be fresh.

“But it all depends on his recovery from surgery. Back surgery as I know from a personal aspect can be tricky. We expect it to be at least another couple of months until he is fully fit.

“He has just had the staples out so I don’t think he is ready get into the real fitness side of things yet. He will be rehabing closer to home. Then when he is ready to come through here then the option is there – if he wants. I would like him here if he proves his fitness. I’ve told Kris that, he knows that.”