Leicester may hunt Ireland boss Martin O'Neill if they sack Pearson

Martin O'Neill

By Charlie Rusholme

IRELAND manager Martin O'Neill could be tempted back into club management after his former club Leicester City were on the point of sacking Nigel Pearson last night.

O'Neill has been linked with a return to the club he managed for four years between January 1996 and June 2000, with bookmakers installing him as joint favourite alongside former Foxes player Neil Lennon to take over from Pearson.

In an interview recently, O'Neill dropped the hint that he misses the day-to-day involvement of club management and referred to the isolation of the international boss in comparison.

However, Leicester - currently rock bottom of the Premier League table - would have to tempt O'Neill with a seriously lucrative offer to vacant his position as Ireland manager - a job which he maintains he still enjoys immensely.

O'Neill previously guided Leicester to promotion in his first season at the club and then presided over English League Cup final wins in 1997 and 2000 before he departed for another successful six-year reign in charge of Celtic.