By Liam Mackey
Martin O’Neill says he is “100 per cent” committed to seeing out his job as Ireland manager following the recent speculation which had linked him with the then vacant post at Leicester City which has since been filled by Claudio Ranieri.
Speaking after he conducted the FAI Cup draw in Sligo this morning, O’Neill said: “I have a commitment here, I told you that before. We’re just slightly over half-way through this competition and I desperately want to get to France. And the commitment was there 100 per cent.”
Declining to confirm or deny if he had actually received an approach from the Premier League club, O’Neill described the story as “yesterday’s news”, adding “it’s gone now, Leicester City have appointed a manager with excellent pedigree.”
Speaking of his own history with the Foxes, O’Neill said: “Leicester are a very good club. It might not be the club I had before when I was manager at the old Filbert Street and they’ve since moved grounds. Their escape (from relegation) was fantastic and while there are still a number of people involved with the club that I worked with before, it’s probably different in that sense. But, yes, it’s a brilliant club. And I wish them all the very best.”
Returning to his present role, he again stressed: “I have a commitment here and this is what I wanted to do. I can’t be reading too much into a future that may or may not exist. I signed here when John (Delaney) asked me and I said I would take it up until the end of our involvement in the Euros and then we would see after that again.
“I said to you some time ago that if I thought there was general progress not only with the side but with maybe the infrastructure that I would be hoping to try and improve if I could, then I would re-look at it and see where we are. And obviously the FAI would have thoughts on that themselves. But that conversation would be for a future time.”