Contract talk puts O’Neill on his guard
MARTIN O’NeIll has revealed that he and Roy Keane are yet to sign their two-year contract extensions with the Republic of Ireland.
The FAI announced on Tuesday that the pair would be staying on for the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.
But O’Neill, speaking at Ireland’s euro 2016 training camp yesterday, said he had only shaken hands with chief executive John Delaney and he was prickly when asked if that meant he would definitely still be in charge regardless of their performance in France.
‘I’ve shaken hands with John. That’s all that’s necessary,’ said the 64-year-old former Celtic manager. ‘I think that John felt, going into the euros, it might be a decent thing to do, so fine.
‘I’ve shaken hands on the deal and I’m going with it. I can’t really say much more than that.’
He added: ‘John essentially was wanting to do it, he was looking for a bit of continuity like everything else. He’s persuaded me to do it.
‘John and I had a conversation and shook hands and I have implicit trust in him.’
The Irish squad was escorted by an armed guard through traffic congestion around Paris this week. And goalkeeper Shay Given said that security in the camp has reached unprecedented levels after November’s terrorist attacks in the French capital.
Armed agents patrolled outside the picturesque Stade de Montbauron in Versailles yesterday as the squad trained in front of around 500 local school childen ahead of their Group e opener against Sweden at the Stade de France on Monday.
‘This is the first time I’ve had ant armed guard at a tournament and they are travelling everywhere with us,’ revealed 40-year-old Given. ‘I suppose we’ll get used to it, but it does seem a bit weird.
‘It’s a difficult time in France after the attacks last year and it’s the same for every team, we have to make sure everyone is safe.
‘A couple of times we have stopped on the bus and a few gunmen have jumped out — it can be a little bit nerve-wracking on that front. But that’s only been because there was traffic in the end.
‘But we’re well protected and you have to have faith in the security and the French services, they are trained in this. That’s what they do — we play football and they keep people safe.’
Given — the Republic’s most-capped goalkeeper with 134 appearances and the longest-serving player in their history — has overcome a groin problem to make the squad but insists he is not here to play back-up to West Ham’s Darren Randolph and Sheffield Wednesday’s Keiren Westwood, especially as he accepts this tournament will be his last.
‘The manager wants competition in that position and I think we have all given him something to think about,’ said Given.
‘Hopefully I’m not here to make up the numbers.’