MARTIN O'Neill is ready to sign up for another two years whether Ireland qualify for France 2016 or not and if the FAI want him.
"If I honestly think that there has been this progress and, as important, the FAI believes that there is a definite improvement, I think the two of us could come to some sort of agreement," said O'Neill.
This is the first real indication that O'Neill is ready commit himself to a longer term as Ireland boss and draws a line under the approach made by Leicester City last week.
"They had a number of candidates they were interested in and just wanted to know my position and I said I had a commitment here," said O'Neill.
"I think the FAI actually are - hopefully I'm not speaking out of turn - but I think that John Delaney and the FAI members, are hoping that this would be a longer-term commitment and that they do see that are some new faces coming in."
Jack Grealish could yet be one of those faces but while O'Neill again underlined that the lad must make his own choice, he has not ruled out another approach before the decision is made in September.
"It will be entirely up to him. Nobody wants to force him. We have talked about the situation before and I think he will have a fair idea between now and then about what he's going to do. "It doesn't mean that I might not have a word with him and his father but the decision eventually will be his," said O'Neill
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