United job ‘daunting’

MARTIN O’NEILL has distanced himself from talk of becoming Manchester United’s next manager — but admitted the man who eventually replaces Alex Ferguson will face a daunting task.

O’Neill was widely touted as a potential successor to Ferguson when the Scot announced his intention to quit in May last year.

Ferguson’s decision to abandon retirement plans ensured there was no vacancy to fill, although it has since been claimed by Ferguson himself that current England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson was the man earmarked to step into his shoes.