Stoke City make official approach to appoint Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill
The Potters sacked Nathan Jones at the start of November
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Your support makes all the difference.Stoke City have made an official approach to the Irish Football Association to appoint Michael O’Neill as their new manager.
The Northern Ireland boss has been in charge at international level for eight years, taking his side to Euro 2016 and being in with a chance of reaching Euro 2020, too.
Stoke dismissed Nathan Jones at the start of November and sit bottom of the Championship, with just two wins and eight points from their 15 games this season.
O’Neill has yet to manage in the English football league, with his previous club roles coming at Brechin in Scotland and Shamrock Rovers in Ireland. As a player, he featured for the likes of Newcastle, Coventry and Wigan in England.
The IFA have confirmed that Stoke have requested permission to speak to O’Neill and it is understood that discussions are underway regarding compensation amounts.
Stoke have already been denied the chance to appoint Alex Neil by current club Preston, with an approach rejected soon after Jones’ departure.
The Potters were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2017/18 season and finished 16th in the second tier last term.
Northern Ireland face Netherlands and Germany in two Euro 2020 qualifiers across the upcoming international break, for which O’Neill has already named his squad.
Stoke play Barnsley in the Championship on Saturday, before the two-week break.
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