Paul Lambert has tonight parted company with Ipswich Town after "differences of opinion" with club owner Marcus Evans in a move that is sure to increase speculation about the former Celtic midfielder replacing Neil Lennon at Parkhead.  

The 51-year-old, who had been in charge at Portman Road since 2018, leaves with the East Anglian outfit in eighth place in League One following back-to-back victories. 

Ipswich, who are set to be taken over by a consortium of American businessmen, announced they had parted company by mutual consent despite a 2-1 victory over Doncaster in the league.

Evans said: "It has become clear after holding discussions over the last few days that there are significant differences of opinion as to the order of immediate priorities and we agreed it was best for us to part company.

"I would like to put on record my sincere thanks to Paul and Stuart for their services to Ipswich Town over the last two and half years. I have enjoyed a healthy working relationship with Paul in our time together and he has brought a lot of positive aspects to the club."

The former Scotland player couldn't stop Ipswich falling out of the Championship in April 2019 or finishing 11th in the third tier last season when placings were determined on a points-per-game basis due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After Ipswich's win over Doncaster on Saturday, Lambert conceded that if the club were taken over, he would likely not remain in his post. He said: "When a takeover generally comes in, it's 99.9 per cent I won't be here."

Champions League winner Lambert, who has also managed at Blackburn Rovers, Norwich City, Aston Villa, Wolves and Stoke City, won every honour in the Scottish game during his eight years as a player with Celtic and featured in the 2003 UEFA Cup final against Porto in Seville. 

Speaking to Sky Sports last week, he appeared to rule himself out of the running for the Celtic vacancy. 

"I played for eight years, but I left the Glasgow scene a long time ago," he said. "That's not my life anymore. I don't want to tarnish the good feelings I have with the Celtic fans. We won a hell of a lot, stopping Rangers winning 10-In-A-Row in 1998. That was an incredible achievement. Maybe I'll go back as a fan, that's all I can say."