12 April 2024 , 17:10
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has distanced himself from links to the Ireland job after emerging as the betting favourite to succeed Stephen Kenny.
The Football Association of Ireland announced back in November that Kenny's contract would not be renewed following his failure to qualify for Euro 2024 but have yet to appoint a new head coach. Various names have been linked with the vacancy since including John O'Shea, who was confirmed as interim manager for friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland last month.
England Under-21 head coach Lee Carsley was touted as the red-hot favourite to succeed Kenny, only for the FAI to fail in their attempts to prise him away from the FA. On Friday afternoon, it seemed as though Solskjaer was the new name in the frame after he was cut to odds-on in some places.
However, The Athletic outlined that while Solskjaer had held talks with the FAI over the role in January, he decided that taking on such a role was not the right move for him.
The Irish Times had previously claimed that a decision was likely to be made by the FAI this week with an appointment expected on either Wednesday or Thursday. With Solskjaer ruling himself out of the running, it remains to be seen who will land the job.
Shaw opens up on Man Utd problem that plagued Rangnick and Solskjaer
Intriguingly, Roy Keane - one of Solskjaer's former Manchester United team-mates - also recently emerged as a contender for the role following talks with the FAI.
It was revealed by the Irish Examiner that Keane, a former Ireland assistant coach, had held three separate meetings with Irish football's governing body over the vacancy.
Join the debate! Would Solskjaer be a good appointment for Ireland? Let us know here.
Roy Keane had previously held meetings with the FAI over the Ireland job (Ash Donelon/Manchester United FC)Keane has teased a return to the dugout in recent times and opened the door to transitioning into international management. Speaking on The Overlap, he said: “Yeah, international football – I enjoyed it when I was a coach for a while. I like the dynamics of it, where you’re not in every day, and it’s not about bringing players in and I suppose dealing with the board every week or the academy.
“Yeah, that does appeal. I did like the dynamics when I was coaching with Martin with the Irish team. We had a little bit of success, and when you’ve had a little bit of success, then it’s brilliant, and obviously there are disappointments. So, yeah, that could be an option.”
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