Micko still undecided on Wicklow future

Mick O'Dwyer's future as Wicklow senior football manager is still up in the air, as the vacant Mayo managerial position becomes the latest he has been linked with.

O'Dwyer has had an unbroken run in senior inter-county management since resuming with Kildare in 1998.

He managed the Lilywhites until the end of their 2002 campaign, before guiding Laois to their first Leinster triumph in 57 years the following summer.

O'Dwyer's departure from the O'Moore County at the end of 2006 saw Wicklow come calling, and he has been at their helm ever since.

There has been plenty of speculation that O'Dwyer would end his involvement with Wicklow this year, but he says he does not know yet if he will give another year to the Wicklow cause.

"I took a good break this year after the Championship finished and to be very honest I had made no decisions one way or the other (at that time)," he said at the MBNA Kick Fada Hall of Fame awards today.

"Every county that (a management position) becomes available, they associate me with the job.

"I generally don't go looking for jobs, to be honest, anymore. I'm having a good rest and I have made no decisions one way or another, what I am doing."

"It won't be for the next few weeks - maybe three to five weeks anyway," he added.

O'Dwyer is keen to stress that regardless of whether he wants to continue with the Garden County, ultimately it is up to the Wicklow County Board to decide if he stays or goes.

"That decision will be with the Wicklow County Board, and I will have a decision before I do anything."

The Kerry native has been most recently linked with the Mayo management role, which was vacated by John O'Mahony at the end of their campaign this year.

O'Dwyer says that he is flattered to be linked with the position out west.

"It is a bit flattering alright in a way. Mayo have a lot of good players, and there are some good men there who have been nominated to do the job there as well," the 74-year-old admitted.

Former Mayo manager John Maughan has been nominated for the job by at least one club, and ex-county players James Horan, Denis Kearney and Anthony McGarry have all expressed an interest.

A homegrown appointment is more likely at this point, with some members of the Mayo County Executive opposed to the idea of bringing in someone from 'outside the county'.

O'Dwyer said: "I suppose maybe they are looking for somebody from outside of the county for a change, but whatever happens they have plenty of players in Mayo - there is no doubt about that.

"There are plenty of people available in Mayo to do the job as well."