Michael O'Neill has decided to remain as Northern Ireland manager after ending his dual role with Blackburn Rovers, with the 56-year-old focusing on the European Championship campaign ahead
Michael O'Neill is set to remain at the helm of Northern Ireland after rejecting the chance to take the Blackburn job on a permanent basis.
O'Neill spent the latter part of the season balancing both roles after being appointed Rovers manager in February, guiding the club to Championship survival by accumulating 20 points from his 15 matches in charge, while making clear that holding both positions simultaneously was not a sustainable arrangement. The 56 year old had given Blackburn supporters cause for optimism that he might remain at the club, speaking positively about his time at Ewood Park and describing talks with the club as 'very positive', while expressing hope of reaching an agreement that 'suited all three parties'.
Ultimately, however, he has opted to continue his career in international management. The Press Association understands O'Neill has held discussions regarding a new contract with the Irish FA, though as matters stand, no deal has been finalised and he remains tied to an existing contract running until 2028.
'Blackburn Rovers is a historic football club with a proud tradition and passionate supporters,' O'Neill said in a club statement. 'I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with the players, staff and everyone around the club. 'After careful consideration, I have decided that my long-term focus must remain with Northern Ireland and the journey towards the European Championship campaign ahead.
'I would like to thank the owners, Board, staff, players and supporters for the welcome and support shown to me during my time at the club. ' Blackburn's chief operating officer Suhail Shaikh paid tribute to O'Neill for his contributions to the club. 'Michael's experience and leadership have been highly valued by everyone at Blackburn Rovers,' a statement read.
'Whilst we are naturally disappointed that he will not be continuing on a permanent basis, we fully respect his decision to focus on his long-term ambitions with Northern Ireland. ' O'Neill took the reins at Blackburn in February, with Rovers sitting in the relegation zone on goal difference. While he swiftly steered them clear of the bottom three, their Championship survival remained uncertain until a crucial victory away to Sheffield United in their second-to-last fixture.
His initial decision to take charge at Blackburn, announced just a day after O'Neill attended the Nations League draw in Brussels, left many Northern Ireland supporters taken aback, coming merely six weeks before their World Cup qualifying play-off against Italy, a match they went on to lose 2-0 in Bergamo. This marks O'Neill's second spell at the helm of Northern Ireland, having previously departed to take up the Stoke job in November 2019.
During that period, he had also juggled both roles simultaneously, though his plans to oversee Northern Ireland's Euro 2020 qualifying play-off in March of that year were scuppered by the Covid-19 pandemic. The man who guided Northern Ireland to Euro 2016 returned to Windsor Park in December 2022, and last October he reached a milestone of 100 matches in charge.
The Irish FA released a statement saying: 'We are delighted Michael has decided to stay on as Northern Ireland senior men's manager.
'He has built another exciting squad of players and we now look forward to building on this momentum as we plan for both the UEFA Nations League campaign this autumn and the subsequent qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2028 with Michael at the helm. ' O'Neill – who this week received an appointment to FIFA's Technical Study Group for the World Cup – will now focus on preparing for friendly fixtures next month against Guinea in Cadiz, Spain and France in Lille, before turning his attention to a Nations League campaign where Northern Ireland are set to meet Georgia, Hungary and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Blackburn are on the hunt for their fourth permanent manager since Jon Dahl Tomasson departed in February 2024. Click here to sign up to our sport newsletter, bringing you the top stories and biggest headlines from Ireland and beyond
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