Soccer: Mystery over O'Neill's future

Martin O'Neill has refused to rule himself out of the running to become the next Manchester United manager.

O'Neill has been linked with the job, but he has continually pledged his future to Celtic and expressed a willingness to extend his stay in Glasgow beyond his contract which expires in the summer of 2003.

But he admitted he would not 'regret' an approach from Old Trafford.

He said: "You would love to sit down and plan five years, but as a manager you can't do that.

"Alex Ferguson has eventually won the right to plan for the next five years if he so desires, but you can lose a few games and then you are yesterday's news.

"I wouldn't regret it if someone (United) offered you something and I assume then they might be pleased with the job that you're doing. "

Celtic chairman Brian Quinn and his fellow directors have yet to begin contract talks with the Irishman.

"Nothing has happened yet," added O'Neill.

"I'm quite sure that the board and the chairman will sit down at some stage to discuss things with me.

"I always think there's plenty of time to look at that and at the end of the season would be plenty of time.

"With the game being so fickle things can change very quickly, especially on the managerial front.

"I genuinely don't think about it. The security aspect has never concerned me about being a manager and it never concerned me as a player, funnily enough.

"I signed five one-year contracts at Nottingham Forest always thinking life would be better the next year - it never was."