Mick McCarthy agrees deal to take over as Ireland boss
Mick McCarthy has agreed a deal with the FAI to take up the role of Ireland manager for the second time.
The former Ireland captain met with FAI officials earlier today where the parties reached an understanding that the 59-year-old would fill the vacancy created by the sacking of Martin O’Neill on Wednesday.
McCarthy will reportedly receive €1.2m per year.
McCarthy was selected ahead of Dundalk boss Stephen Kenny, who an intermediary of the FAI also met to discuss the position over the past 24 hours.
The Barnsley native will be bringing Terry Connor, his loyal assistant from spells at Wolves and Ipswich Town, in as his assistant and Robbie Keane is also expected to feature on the backroom team.
McCarthy, who left Ipswich in April, has never hidden his desire of returning to the job he quit in controversial circumstances in October 2002.
He had just four months earlier led Ireland to the knockout stages of the World Cup but his fallout with Roy Keane haunted him when the team lost their two opening games of the Euro 2004 campaign.
Now he’ll get a full series of qualifiers between March and November of next year to reach the Euros in 2020, a tournament Ireland is one of 12 countries hosting matches in a different format to the usual hosting by one or two nations.
McCarthy will take his seat at the draw in Dublin’s Convention Centre on Sunday week, when Ireland will be third seeds in a group that only the two nations proceed to the showpiece.
There will likely be a safety-net route through the Nations League play-offs in March 2020 should they fail to qualify directly.
