Key Takeaways
- Michael O’Neill says juggling Northern Ireland and Blackburn Rovers is “not possible”.
- He took over at Blackburn in February when the club sat 22nd in the Championship.
- Blackburn secured survival with a win over Sheffield United on Wednesday night.
Michael O’Neill has ruled out keeping both the Northern Ireland and Blackburn Rovers jobs, saying the workload is too heavy.
The 54-year-old stepped in at Ewood Park on a short deal when the side were second-bottom of the Championship. After beating Sheffield United this week, Blackburn are safe from relegation with one match left.
O’Neill also led Northern Ireland in their March World-Cup play-off against Italy, which ended in a 2-0 loss. He now admits the double duty was harder than expected.
“You can’t do both,” he told BBC Radio Lancashire. “I only managed because the play-off fell in March. When qualifiers run through autumn, it’s impossible.”
His IFA contract runs to 2028. Any club wanting him on a full-time basis must pay a release fee and win his agreement.
“This was a loan spell,” O’Neill said. “Talks will happen, but the final call rests with Blackburn and the IFA.”
Blackburn end their season at already-relegated Leicester City on 2 May.
