Soccer: O'Neill in frame to follow Sven

Former Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has faced some tricky decisions over the course of almost 40 years in football, and what may prove the hardest of all is imminent.

In two weeks, the Football Association steering committee of three officials will report back to the main FA board with their initial thoughts about who should succeed Sven Goran Eriksson after the World Cup finals.

Since O'Neill's name will figure prominently, it would make little sense for them to confess they had no idea if he is interested in the post.

Brian Barwick, the chief executive, has worked with O'Neill and is best placed to take informal soundings, which he could then convey to the other members of the trinity: the international committee chairman, Noel White, and the vice-chairman, Dave Richards (who is also the Premier League chairman). Barwick is on record as saying that he wants the best man for the job, and "so much the better" if that person is English.

When Richards unexpectedly went on the record at a Football Foundation function last week, however, he insisted there was "no distinction" between English and British, which was taken as a pointer to O'Neill, an Ulster Catholic from a nationalist family; it will be interesting to see whether Barwick changes his phraseology over the next weeks.

Public opinion does not support the notion that a UK passport is an essential requirement for the job. In an opinion poll last week, 65 per cent of respondents said the head coach could be of any nationality.

The bookmakers' constantly changing assessment has O'Neill sneaking ahead of Dutchman Guus Hiddink, who has more international management experience.

The snag is, O'Neill withdrew from his job at Celtic at the end of last season to care for his wife, who remains seriously ill but is improving.

Friends have now intimated he might be able to return to work, especially to an international job demanding fewer hours at the office.

At Leicester, O'Neill transformed the club's fortunes, though only after a character-building struggle; less than two months before succeeding in the play-off final against Crystal Palace, he was the target of a demonstration by 3000 supporters following an ignominious home defeat by Sheffield United.

To take that team into the Premiership and then finish ninth, 10th, 10th and eighth, with three League Cup finals, was a considerable feat.

Yet O'Neill knew when it was time to take off for Celtic, adding not only major domestic trophies, but almost 50 European ties to his CV.

"Everybody keeps telling me that there's all these people available," Richards has said.

"We'll sit down and find out who is available."

It is time to ask, and for once the answer from all the leading candidates, including O'Neill, is likely to be in the affirmative.

- INDEPENDENT