NEIL Lennon does not believe the financial turmoil at Wanderers should sully Phil Gartside’s legacy.

The Whites boss continues to hope for a speedy resolution to takeover talks, with a hearing at the High Court in London just 11 days away where, in the worst case scenario, the club could be wound up completely.

But while some continue to question Gartside’s role in the decline of the club financially, Lennon believes his work in building a first-class infrastructure at Wanderers should ensure his memory lives on in a positive fashion.

“Just look around the place,” he said. “It's a totally different club to what it was when Phil first walked through the doors.

“He's made a massive contribution to that and I think we should all be very grateful for what he put into the club and what he achieved here.”

Lennon admits Gartside’s absence has been difficult to adjust to in the last few months.

“We still have Brett Warburton, Richard Gee, Anthony (Massey) and Trevor (Birch),” he said. “And they will run the club until there is a possible takeover.

“Things will be as normal as they possibly can be. But Phil’s passing is a massive loss to the club and to a lot of people personally.

“Everything else pales into insignificance after what happened yesterday. This is the biggest blow. Things can be resolved one way or another but replacing Phil will be very difficult to do. I know a lot of people will miss him including myself.

“The out pouring of grief showed how much he meant to a lot of people.”