O´Neill denies Ambrose link

Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill has denied suggestions the club are set to move for Celtic centre-back Efe Ambrose.

Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill has denied suggestions the club are set to move for Celtic centre-back Efe Ambrose.

The Nigeria international has quickly cemented his status as a key man for Celtic since arriving from Israeli side Ashdod for a fee of 1.5 million pounds in the off-season.

The 24-year-old’s performances are believed to have drawn interest from several English Premier League clubs, but O’Neill has denied discussing Ambrose’s future with Celtic manager Neil Lennon.

“It’s been news to me. I’ve not spoken to Neil Lennon about Ambrose,” O’Neill told the Sunderland Echo.

The defender was at fault for two goals and missed a glorious chance at the other end as the Scottish outfit succumbed to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Juventus in the Champions League.

But Lennon has underlined his faith in the player, insisting he simply had an off match against the Italian side.

“I’ve got a lot of time for him. I’ve got a lot of faith in him,” Lennon told BBC Radio Scotland.

“He just had a bad night (against Juventus). He’s a terrific player and he’s got a lot of suitors out there already but he wants to play here.”