Neil Lennon hails Lewis Stevenson ahead of testimonial dinner

Lewis Stevenson's testimonial dinner takes place tonight. Pic: SNS

All 950 tickets for the event at Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange were snapped up within four days of going on sale, the biggest Hibs dinner ever and, according to Hibs head coach Neil Lennon, nothing more than the club’s longest serving players deserves.

Stevenson has already clocked up 327 appearances in a green-and-white shirt and at the age of 28, said Lennon still has plenty to offer the Easter Road club.

“I can’t speak highly enough of him,” said Lennon. “Easy to manage and low maintenance. In this day and age it has become more and more rare and the timing of this could not happen to a better person. The interest in the club again is phenomenal. The dinner is a sell-out and if anyone deserve it, it is Lewis.

Neil Lennon has been impressed by Stevenson since arriving as Hibs boss. Pic: SNS

“He’s the only Hibs player to have won both a League Cup and a Scottish Cup winners medal. He has been a really consistent player over the years and for any player to have spent a decade at the one club is thoroughly deserving of all that comes his way.”

Stevenson may have split the Hibs support over the years, but Lennon said: “He is a lovely footballer. Technically, he a great left foot. His weight of pass is good, he has that football intelligence and he reads the game well. He has never been blessed with great pace of physicality, but he is a footballer, His range of passing is very good. He has been very reliable and hasn’t spent too long on the treatment table – that is a testament to his professionalism and the way he looks after himself.

“The players respect him, which is always vital to have in the dressing room. He is quiet and doesn’t say a lot, but there is a healthy respect from all the other players. He goes about his business on a daily basis with no fuss.

“He has endured relegation and other huge disappointments, but he has never shied away from them or walked away.

“He is a great servant and he has plenty of football left in him. This isn’t the end of his career by any means. He has plenty to offer me and this club.”