CELTIC hero Neil Lennon has quipped that none of his players will get ahold of Cristiano Ronaldo's shirt tonight - because he's got first dibs.

Lenny's Omonia Nicosia take on Manchester United on matchday three of the Europa League group stages this evening. 

The game, which will take place in Cyprus, will be a huge deal for everyone in the city, says Lennon.

The ex-Hoops and Hibs boss is excited to take on the global giants as part of their European journey, describing their section, also consisting of Real Sociedad and Sheriff Tiraspol, as a "Champions League" group.

Appearing on talkSPORT to preview the game, Lennon reflected on his time on the continent so far. 

Gabby Agbonlahor asked how important it would be to keep his players focussed on the task at hand and not allowing them to be distracted by United's various star names. 

Lenny had the perfect response. He said: "We’ve got to play the game and not the occasion. Some of the players here, particularly the Cypriot boys, who will be Man United fans.

"You don’t want them to be star struck in the tunnel and then losing total focus.

“We’ll try to play that down as much as possible. I’m a bit old fashioned with swapping shirts at half-time and all of that sort of baloney.

“I’ve already put in three orders for Ronaldo’s shirt.

“To be honest, I really hope he does play because he’s one of the greatest ever. I’d love to see him play live one more time.

“I might not get the opportunity for too much longer with being out here.

“It’s going to be fantastic. All of our prep work is done. The players know the enormity of the game, but they also know that there’s no pressure on them and they’ve got to go and express themselves.”

He continued: "It's beautiful. I've really enjoyed my experience here. To get into the Europa League was a big moment for us. 

"The draw against United, Sociedad and Sheriff was like a Champions League draw for us. The city has been rocking. 

"The interest has gone through the roof. With it being Manchester United tonight, it means so much. 

"Football is the number one sport here by a mile. They're so passionate about it. You get all the British games here, there's a massive following for United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal. 

"For United to come here it's huge. We could've sold the stadium out three or four times no problem."

"Tactically, the Cypriots have improved a lot so the league is quite competitive. 

"It's not like every other major league where only two teams can win it. There's four or five teams who could here. 

"We've got a team full of internationals with Brazilians, Hungarians and others who have played against England. They're not going to be phased. 

"We are playing Man United though. I know they're off the back of a heavy defeat at the weekend but they've still got world class players. We're going to have to be at our best.

"We need to get something out of the game to give us a foothold in the group."