Mick McCarthy will be unveiled as Republic of Ireland boss on Sunday
Dundalk boss Stephen Kenny to take over from Mick McCarthy after Euro 2020
Sunday 25 November 2018 15:44, UK
Mick McCarthy is expected to be announced as manager of the Republic of Ireland on Sunday afternoon, Sky sources understand.
Stephen Kenny, manager of League of Ireland side Dundalk, is also set to take charge of Ireland's U21s before succeeding McCarthy as national team boss after the Euro 2020 finals.
Former Wolves and Sunderland manager McCarthy replaces Martin O'Neill, who, along with his assistant Roy Keane, stepped down earlier this week following a miserable run of just one win in nine matches this year.
McCarthy has been out of a job since leaving Ipswich in April, but is set for a second stint in the Republic hot seat, with his appointment to be confirmed at a 3pm Sunday press conference at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Kenny's potential appointment is something of a surprise, even though the 47-year-old has won four league titles in the last five years in Ireland with Dundalk. Kenny has also had a spell as manager of Scottish side Dunfermline.
Former Ireland striker Robbie Keane, who gained his first experience of management last season during a spell with Indian Super League side ATK, is in talks to join McCarthy's backroom team. Terry Connor, who worked as McCarthy's assistant at Ipswich and Wolves, is expected to link up once again with the 59-year-old.
Other names linked with the job included Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, former England manager Sam Allardyce, Hibernian counterpart Neil Lennon and Brighton's Chris Hughton.
But McCarthy will be given the opportunity to revitalise the Republic, with whom he won 57 caps during his playing career before taking the reins for the first time in 1996 after leaving Millwall.
Under McCarthy, the Republic missed out on qualification to the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
His tenure concluded at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, where, despite Roy Keane's departure from the squad following a bitter fallout with McCarthy, the Republic reached the last 16.
Since then, McCarthy has had varying degrees of success at Sunderland, Wolves and Ipswich.
