He told Virgin Media: “Under absolutely no circumstances will I be applying for the job given the current remit of where this job sits. I don’t think that it reads as a CEO role at all. I think it reads as half a CEO role and anybody going in there will have a huge shadow over them because the departing CEO hasn’t departed at all.

“It would make life very, very difficult and quite frankly I think it’s a little bit of a charade, given the scrutiny that was in place over the last week. The rush of the appointment, the unanimous decision of the board told late on a Saturday night in the middle of some serious scrutiny on the CEO at that time, that this was best for the association and it was a great move and everyone should back it?

“We’re not buying it and I’m not buying it. I think that it is an ill-conceived decision that needs to be looked at again, in my opinion. I’ll say it again: It’s a half a CEO role and it’s a role I think at this stage, if it stays in its current remit, for a gilly.

“How can you bring in your passion, your drive and everything, how can they go in there with a great vision and ability as a CEO? In every other company in the world, the CEO can make great decisions through the association or organisation.

“With the departing CEO not departing at all, and taking some of the responsibilities and prettier and glamorous jobs, but also the important jobs, it just doesn’t sit right. He has been around a long time. He has done it. It’s probably high time now that a different FAI appear. We have a moment in time now as an association and football-loving country to see real change, and this is a bit of a fudge.”