Martin O’Neill open to extending contract with Ireland

Far from leaving early, Martin O’Neill insists that he remains open to staying on as Republic of Ireland manager beyond the end of the current campaign.

The Derry man hinted that talks about an extension to his contract with the FAI may already have taken place but said he was happy to leave any decision on the matter until after the team wraps up its qualifying campaign in October against Poland in Warsaw.

“I’m happy with that there,” he said after helping to make the draw for the third round of the FAI Cup at the Showgrounds in Sligo yesterday.

“Like everything else, it’s not such a [great prospect] having a job on the 11th of October and no job on the 12th; you boys, I think, would be a bit scared of that. But overall I haven’t a major problem.

Commitment

“I always felt it was going to be difficult anyway in the group – that wasn’t the point.

“I also think that with the games coming up, the matches that we had to play, the driving commitment that the team has shown – the side might lack certain things but commitment is not one of them – I’m not so sure that they [the players] would want to see their manager up and leave.

“But that wasn’t the point. I think my record generally would suggest that I do see things through. Certainly from my viewpoint anyway.

“If I looked at this here objectively for a start: if you’re an international manager, obviously the results are the be-all and end-all of everything.

“But if you feel you are making a commitment and you just have the one competition and you get in and get out, I wouldn’t be totally sure that’s the right thing.

“I think the FAI actually are – hopefully I’m not speaking out of turn – but I think that John [Delaney], the FAI members, are hoping that this would be a longer-term commitment. I think that John had said that they were pretty happy.”

O’Neill confirmed that he was at the very least sounded out by Leicester City about making a return to English club football but suggested that the matters had not gone very far.

“I think it was straightforward,” he said.

“I think they had a number of candidates they were interested in and just wanted to know my position and I said I had a commitment here. And that was fine; absolutely fine.

Fighting chance

“That’s what I wanted to do – to stay on. We’ve still got four more games and I think we still have a real fighting chance. And this is it.”

The former Aston Villa, Celtic and Sunderland boss admits that Ireland do now have a few “must win” games coming up, but long before those he will be in St Petersburg next weekend to discover who the team will be up against for a place at the next World Cup.

The draw for the World Cup qualifiers should not, he feels, take place until after those for Euro 2016 have concluded but he is still keen to witness the process and its outcome, despite not being sure that he will be in charge.

Asked if there was a “dream” group, he said: “Yes, and Germany are not in it.”

Pressed on whether Wales were now the pick of the top seeds from an Irish point of view, he was more guarded. “Wales, great credit to them, have done well to go from sixth to first [seeds]. I would have thought that that would have been really difficult to do, but well done them.

“There are certain teams, though, that you feel, the top sides, the Germanys, that while they might have had hiccups here and there, overall you just know that when the group is finished that Germany will qualify in our group, so that lessens your chances.”