There is a clear favourite in the race to replace Stephen Kenny as Republic of Ireland manager.
Failure to qualify for Euro 2024 saw the end of Stephen Kenny’s reign as Republic of Ireland manager, with various contenders attracting interest in the subsequent two months.
The Boys in Green have now not featured in a tournament since their Euro 2016 appearance, where they reached the round of 16 and picked up a famous win against Italy before being dumped out by eventual runners up France.
Ireland nearly qualified for Euro 2020 but were knocked out in the play-off semi-finals to Slovakia. It will now be a fourth major tournament that Ireland have not qualified for, costing Kenny his job.
For the latest next Ireland manager odds, click here.
Who are the favourites for the Republic of Ireland manager job?
Neil Lennon is the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Stephen Kenny at a best price of 13/8 on Paddy Power (shortest price 8/13). Lennon has been out of a job since 2022 after leaving Omonia in Cyprus.
He is most remembered for his time with Celtic, where he made 214 league appearances and took them to 10 Scottish Premierships, with five each as both a player and manager.
He has never managed at international level, but his pedigree speaks for itself with Celtic.
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Next Ireland Manager Odds
| Name | Best Price | Worst Price |
|---|---|---|
| Neil Lennon | 13/8 | 8/13 |
| Lee Carsley | 7/1 | 5/1 |
| Gus Poyet | 8/1 | 3/1 |
| Chris Hughton | 14/1 | 5/1 |
| Roy Keane | 20/1 | 8/1 |
Who could be next Ireland manager?
Despite reports that the England U21 boss has turned down the opportunity to become the next Ireland manager, Lee Carsley (11/2 chance) remains in the running to take over from Stephen Kenny.
He is currently the second favourite at a best price of 11/2 and has international pedigree to his name having guided England U21s to the European Under-21 Championship in summer 2023.
Whether he would be able to take the top job at an expectant nation in Ireland might be a step too far at the moment for Carsley, given that the former Republic of Ireland international is seemingly happy in his current role with the English FA.
The former Brighton and current Greece manager Gus Poyet is the third favourite spot in the race to become the next Ireland manager at a best price of 8/1 on Sky Bet.
Poyet led Greece to promotion from League B in the UEFA Nations League, helping them to qualify for the Euro 2024 Play-Offs where they will face off against Kazakhstan and the winner of Georgia and Luxembourg to qualify for Euro 2024.
Given that Poyet is preparing his Greek side to sneak into qualifying for Euro 2024, it is unlikely he will depart for Ireland at the moment, which might give an opportunity to another manager who is keen to take the role at a nearer opportunity.
The recently sacked Ghana manager Chris Hughton (14/1) is another name in the hat when assessing the latest next Republic of Ireland manager odds market.
Hughton was sacked by Ghana after failing to qualify for the knockout rounds of AFCON last Wednesday. The majority of his managerial experience comes in English football though, having managed Newcastle United, Birmingham, Norwich City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest.
He made 53 appearances for the Irish national team and his experience with Ghana, despite disappointing to say the least, might give him the edge over some of those managers above him in terms of the bookmakers odds.
Roy Keane Ireland Odds
Well then, this would be an interesting story. Could former Manchester United legend Roy Keane take the Republic of Ireland job?
Keane frequently raises a few eyebrows as a Sky Sports pundit for his harsh comments and no nonsense style punditry. However, in the game as a player/manager, he certainly has experience that wouldn’t make him the worst candidate in the world.
Keane made 67 appearances for his country, as well as managing Sunderland and Ipswich Town between 2006 and 2011. He has worked with the national team before, where he was the assistant manager under Martin O’Neill from 2013 to 2018.
At a best price of 20/1 on Sky Bet, but as short as 8/1 on BetVictor, there could be a lot of value to be found if Roy Keane were to take the top job at Ireland.
