Martin O’Neill coy over new Irish contract
The manager was responding in emphatic terms yesterday to a question about the prospect of extending his contract with Ireland but, despite strong indications the FAI have already made up their minds they want him to stay on, O’Neill also made it clear he will not be formally discussing the matter with them until qualification for the Euro Finals has been resolved, one way or the other.
“There has been no further talks and that is fine, absolutely fine,” he said. “The contract essentially ends roughly within a week or so of us finishing. If we qualify, let me make this clear, it would be great, I’d love to take team to France, that would be fantastic - then we can sit down at leisure and discuss those things.
“If we don’t qualify, then John (Delaney) and I would sit down. He has been pretty supportive. He mentioned to me in June, just after the Scotland game, when there was a possibility of other things happening, he’d like me to stay on.” (O’Neill didn’t specify what those “other things” were but just a couple of weeks after the draw with Scotland in Dublin, Leicester City were reportedly keen to entice him from his Ireland job as a replacement for Nigel Pearson).
“I wish we were here having a conversation about France but we’ve these two games to go through,” O’Neill continued. “So nothing else has happened for no other reason than that that I‘ve put it away because these two games have become pretty important.”
For his part, Ireland captain Robbie Keane is already backing O’Neill to lead Ireland into the next World Cup campaign.
“It will be silly if the manager doesn’t get a new contract,” he said yesterday. “He’s done a great job.”
Meanwhile, Ireland sponsors Three, announced yesterday a renewal of its partnership with the Football Association of Ireland until 2020, in a deal worth €8.9 million.
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