GIVEN OFFERED GOALKEEPER COACHING ROLE
Shay Given has been offered a goalkeeper coaching role within Mick McCarthy’s Republic of Ireland backroom team.
Ireland will discover their opposition for the Euro 2020 qualifiers when the draw is made in Dublin next Sunday. Meanwhile, more details have emerged of Stephen Kenny’s deal with the FAI as the Dundal is set to be announced as Ireland Under-21 boss tomorrow.
Kenny cut a deal with John Delaney yesterday at Abbotstown to replace new Ireland chief Mick McCarthy after Euro 2020.
McCarthy will be presented to the media at the Aviva Stadium before Kenny appears before the cameras soon after.
And no matter how well McCarthy does in his second stint at the helm, he has agreed to vacate the position to allow his apprentice step in.
Kenny had rejected an offer to succeed the retired Noel King in the Under-21 post. King had held the position for the last eight years but that was before FAI head honcho Delaney came back with a second offer in the last 24 hours.
Delaney had dispatched Irish legend John Giles to meet Kenny last week before arranging one final summit yesterday at the association’s Dublin 15 headquarters.
Flanking the CEO was Ruud Dokter, the FAI’s high performance director, while Kenny was accompanied by his agent.
As part of the succession plan, Kenny will combine his duties as Under-21 manager with overseeing all of the FAI’s elite underage squads from Under-15 upwards.
It was enough for the ambitious Dubliner, 47, to be priced away from reigning League of Ireland champions Dundalk.
Sources close to McCarthy last night insisted that he was happy with the arrangement, that it is not an issue and that yesterday he was aware of the decision that Kenny would succeed him.