‘I’ve asked the question’ - No decision made on Stephen Kenny’s future ahead of final Euro 2024 qualifier

Stephen Kenny has refused to confirm or deny media reports linking him to the Lincoln City manager’s post, vacant since former Ireland international Mark Kennedy was sacked by the League One club last month.

“No decision is made in that regard, whatever will be will be,” said Kenny. “I’m just focusing on the [Ireland] games and making sure we are well prepared.”

When pressed about an offer from Lincoln, he added “I’m not discussing any individual club at this stage.”

To avoid a stream of questions over the next 12 days about his future as Ireland manager, the 52-year-old sought clarity from the FAI about his position ahead of this month’s final European Championship qualifier against the Netherlands and a friendly with New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium.

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Kenny’s contract runs until the end of the current European campaign. FAI director of football Marc Canham will provide a review of his three-year tenure to the board of directors on November 28th. Only then will the manager’s fate become clear.

“I don’t view it as purgatory,” he said at the announcement of a 24-man squad in Abbotstown. “I’ve asked the question. No decision has been made. I’ve asked the question. I probably would have released a statement or something but that isn’t the case. I’ve been told no decision has been made, until after the New Zealand game, so I’ll take that at face value. I respect that.

[ Stephen Kenny’s Ireland tenure likely to end next month with Lee Carsley the FAI’s preferred successor ]

“I live in the real world,” Kenny continued. “I’m a realist. I understand that I’ve been under pressure and so forth, of course, but at the same time I know we’ve done a lot of exceptional work as well, some of our performances have been exceptional.”

The former Dundalk manager went on to list several Ireland performances since 2020. However, he was unable to highlight a consistent run of favourable results. Just flashes of excellence, like Chiedozie Ogbene’s overhead kick in a 2-2 draw with a second-string Belgium side in March 2022, and he reiterated the long list of injuries caused by the majority of Irish players plying their trade in the 46-game English Championship.

“He is a breath of fresh air, Chieo, and he is an example to every young player of how to have determination and to prove how professional you have to be. The level of humility he brings every single day, he gives everything of himself all the time.

“When we capped him [against Hungary in 2021] he was playing wing-back in League One. He wasn’t even playing in a forward position...but he got to the Premier League. To make the steps that he has is a huge credit to him. Obviously I was well aware of him at Cork and particularly Limerick, where he did really well and moved on from there to Brentford and Rotherham.”

Séamus Coleman was excluded from this Ireland squad despite returning from a knee injury, sustained last May, with two appearances since Saturday for the Everton under-21s.

“Séamus has been out for seven and a half month, it’s serious. The Holland game is probably a bridge too far to jump into an international game from there,” said Kenny.

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Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher and Dutch-based striker Troy Parrott have been recalled but there is no place for Blackburn Rovers pair Sammie Szmodics and Andy Moran, with the latter named in Jim Crawford’s under-21s squad to face Norway and Italy later this month.

“I didn’t consider Sammie Szmodics for selection,” said Kenny. “He obviously had to leave the camp on the second day in the last camp because of personal reasons and those personal reasons haven’t changed. He just can’t be away for 10 days so he couldn’t be considered.

“We’re not going to play Andy against Holland, so Jim needs him. We’ll review it for the New Zealand game and see where we are, because we regard Andy very highly and he played well last Sunday against Norwich.”

Shane Duffy is expected to continue as captain in the absence of Coleman and John Egan. James McClean has been overlooked again, but the 34-year-old Wrexham winger will win his 103rd and last cap in the friendly against New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday week.