Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill has closed the door on the possibility of gaining ground in Aberdeen.
O’Neill connected with the vacant command job at Pittodrie two weeks ago but insisted on focusing on the national team.
However, in an interview ahead of Northern Ireland’s visit to Hampden to face Scotland in Tuesday’s foreign friendly, O’Neill said he would assess any offer of a possible return to club football.
The 54-year-old, who is in his second spell with Northern Ireland after a three-year spell at Stoke City, said: “It’s anything I would ever rule out.
“Like I say, do the homework you’re doing and if the opportunity presents itself, you compare it and think, I would do it, it’s the right time or it’s not the right time.
“You have to be respectful to your current employers and I will be.
“My move to Stoke was financially smart for the IFA, they benefited a lot from that.
“They were well paid, which is common in foreign football. “
The former Dundee United and Hibernian O’Neill winger, who spent time on loan at Coventry City Dons in 1998, got his start as a manager at Brechin City and Shamrock Rovers before moving into football in 2011.
O’Neill still harbours ambitions to one day work abroad, but has hinted that if he returns to club football, the scene design will have to be just right.
The Irishman highlighted the demanding situations he faced at Stoke City and said his knowledge of football inside the boardroom is vital.
He told Scotland on Sunday: “I would like to paint abroad at some point.
“I’m interested in other roles in the game. I don’t necessarily know if my next role will necessarily be coaching.
“Maybe it’s just another kind of paper. In Stoke, a mountain of paintings had to be made both outside and inside the box.
“Everyone likes to see a football club run smoothly and successfully and it’s a challenge for the owners.
“I think in many football clubs there is a lack of football wisdom among the boards, I mean that sincerely.
“I never look at the game as a fan, I’m in it. There are many other people in football who watch the game as fans.
“Sometimes other people who invest their money in a football club want their own coverage and I say that with my intentions.
“The most difficult thing in football is to have patience because the fans don’t have patience.
“The truth is, attrition never works. Don’t lose the right people in your organization.
– TeleskopHR (@TeleskopHR) March 23, 2024
Meanwhile, Rijeka coach Zeljko Sepic has distanced himself from his ties with Pittodrie.
The 49-year-old, who puts Rijeka among the best in the Croatian league after saving Gorica from relegation in their previous position, has been linked with the Dons.
But it turns out he has no interest in swapping Croatia for Scotland.
Sopic, who is bald, jokes: it’s raining there and it doesn’t do my hairstyle any flattering.
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