Ireland’s best chance of qualification for 2018 World Cup lies with myself and Roy Keane, says Martin O'Neill

Signed, sealed and ready to deliver — that’s Martin O’Neill as he sets his sights on steering Ireland to the World Cup finals in Russia in 2018.

Yesterday’s announcement of a provisional squad for next month’s qualifiers against Georgia and Moldova coincided with the manager confirming that, at long, long last, the issue of his contract with the FAI has been resolved.

Not that, according to the man himself, the matter was ever in doubt from the moment he shook hands on a new two-year deal with John Delaney on the eve of the Euro finals in June.