Kinnear turned down Ireland interview

Luton manager Joe Kinnear claims he rejected the chance to be interviewed for the vacant Republic of Ireland manager’s job.

The Football Association of Ireland are set to interview a shortlist of candidates to succeed Mick McCarthy next week.

But Kinnear claims he refused to join that list in a telephone conversation with former Northern Ireland coach Bryan Hamilton, the FAI’s headhunter.

Kinnear said: “He asked me if I would go on a shortlist and be interviewed along with seven or eight other people, and I said no.

“If they don’t know what I’m capable of doing, why interview me? I’ve done enough in my life. If they want to give me the job they can, but I don’t do interviews.”

Kinnear was an early favourite for the job, but has since slipped out of the reckoning, with Bryan Robson the current front-runner.

The Dublin-born former Wimbledon boss turned down the chance to succeed Jack Charlton in 1996 because the FAI did not offer him enough money.