Chris Hughton approached by FAI again as speculation mounts announcement of new Ireland boss will be delayed

Chris Hughton has been sounded out about the Ireland job once again in recent weeks, but FAI chiefs are unclear whether the experienced manager would be ready to take over from Stephen Kenny.

Bookmakers slashed the odds on the 65-year-old becoming Ireland’s new manager on Tuesday morning, but the Irish Independent understands Hughton is not about to be confirmed as the new Ireland boss this week.

Hughton has been one of the names in the conversation since the FAI embarked on their search for Kenny’s successor last November. He was sacked by Ghana last January following a poor AFCON display when they were eliminated at the group stage.

His name was in the mix that month, but it was a difficult time for the former Spurs player after Ghana’s disastrous campaign. The following month, Brian Kerr ruled Hughton out of the running of the Ireland job and said he wanted a break from management, referencing the difficult AFCON experience as well as a “tough” build-up to the tournament.

It’s believed that there are still some loose ends to be tied up with the Ghana Football Association before Hughton embarks on another role, but if he did throw his hat into the ring for the Ireland job, he would be a strong contender.

Hughton won 53 caps for Ireland, featuring in the Euro 88 and Italia 90 squads, and previously served as Ireland assistant to Kerr from 2003 to 2005.

While Hughton has recent experience in international management with Ghana, the former Brighton and Newcastle manager has previously admitted he finds the challenge of working in club management more appealing.

In addition, the financial rewards on offer at an English club would also be more attractive than the wage package the cash-strapped FAI can currently offer.

Last week, the FAI indicated to the media that they planned to make the long-awaited announcement of their new men’s boss this week, with director of football Marc Canham stating last month that an announcement would be made in “early April”.

But speculation is now rife that the FAI will again delay the announcement, following yesterday’s news that Jonathan Hill will depart as CEO on April 30.

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