O’Neill stays after rejecting Stoke

Martin O’Neill is staying on as Republic of Ireland manager after turning down the chance to manage Stoke City.

He is expected to sign a new contract with the FAI — copper-fastening the verbal agreement which was made last October — before he attends the Uefa Nations League draw in Switzerland on Wednesday week.

It is also hoped that the Derryman will address the media in Dublin later this week, in what would be his first public comments after a series of dramatic developments in an already tortuous saga left the hot seat in the Potteries still vacant and, for a time over the weekend, the position of Ireland’s senior manager shrouded in confusion.