D-day for O'Neill after "productive" talks with Scottish FA
IFA sources confident they'll keep their man
Last updated 19th Jan 2018
Michael O’Neill’s future looks like being decided – finally – within the next 48 hours.
The Northern Ireland manager met with the Scottish FA yesterday and it’s believed talks were extremely productive.
If he does sign he will become the best-paid boss in Scotland’s history.
A four-year contract is believed to be on the table.
But no timescale has been set over the next stage in the SFA's pursuit of the former Brechin and Shamrock Rovers boss.
Both parties spoke at length about the vacant Scotland manager's job and Scottish football in general, a subject the Edinburgh-based former Dundee United and Hibernian midfielder knows well, especially as several of his Northern Ireland squad play or have played there.
The SFA was granted permission by the Irish FA to open talks with O'Neill late last week after finally agreeing to meet the £500,000 compensation demand stipulated for international teams in the manager's contract.
The deal has two years left to run but O'Neill has been offered a four-year extension by his employers which includes a major increase to his #500,000-a-year salary.
Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson - who assisted O'Neill during Euro 2016 and the successful qualifying campaign - is not surprised that the SFA is so keen on taking him to Hampden.
However, sources close to the IFA say they are still confident the 48-year-old who lives in Edinburgh, will stay.