Under-21 gig Lil bit unlikely!

DUNDALK are confident of retaining Stephen Kenny despite fresh links to the vacant Ireland under-21 job last night.

With Mick Mccarthy landing the senior job at Kenny’s expense, those connected with the Oriel Park club were breathing a sigh of relief yesterday.

But the association feel Kenny is a good fit to succeed Noel King at the younger age group and have made a fresh attempt to snare him.

The Irish under-21s have never qualified for a major tournament but the FAI believe Kenny could do something about that.

As we reported earlier this week, Kenny was approached about the 21s vacancy shortly after King stepped down at the start of the month but he ultimately turned it down.

He let it be known at the time that he had his sights on bigger things and his ambitious streak won him favour among FAI top brass.

Not enough, ultimately, to succeed Martin O’neill but Kenny is now earmarked as the next man in after Mccarthy whether that is in two or four years time.

Ideally, the FAI would have liked that pathway to be set in place by having Kenny working from within the association itself.

But there was a growing belief in

Dundalk last night that Kenny will side with his club where he has won four league titles including two doubles in the last five years.

Lee Carsley has also been strongly linked with the 21s job. The ex Irish international is a well regarded coach within the English FA.