Neil Lennon has spoken about his sadness over the unexpected death of Wales manager Gary Speed.

The former Leeds, Newcastle and Everton player was found dead at his home in Chester on Saturday morning. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances.

Lennon revealed that he had met Speed only weeks ago and paid tribute to the manager. Having played against the Welshman during his time in England, the Celtic manager said that Speed had been a difficult opponent.

“Gary´s assistant at Wales was running a sports science course and I met him a couple of months ago,” Lennon told Celtic’s official website. “All the tributes coming his way are genuine.

“He was a fantastic pro and a fantastic player. I sometimes think that gets overlooked because of the longevity he had in his career. People always ask me who was your toughest opponent, and when I played in the Premier League, Gary would’ve been in the top two or three.

“It’s very sad and I think the whole football world is in complete shock, and we send all our condolences from our club to the family. It’s a tragic loss to his family and to football.”