Celtic midfielder Paul Lambert has payed his manager Martin O'Neill a huge compliment by comparing him to the coach who has just won the Champions' League trophy for a second time. The Scotland international is preparing for his third Scottish Cup final on Saturday when O'Neill's side takes on Alex McLeish's Hibernian. McLeish was the man in charge at Motherwell when Lambert announced he was to become a Bosman pioneer and seek his fortune overseas. Hitzfeld tasted Champions League glory again this week with his Bayern Munich side beating Valencia on penalties.
Finals are a one-off.
You never know what's going to happen. It was Hitzfeld who transformed Lambert's career by not only catapulting him on to the European stage but also converting him into first class defensive midfielder. He changed my game and taught me different things. The players round about me at that time helped me a lot as well. O'Neill is currently reaping the benefits of that tactical switch, while McLeish is no doubt plotting the tactics to minimalise his influence.