Sport

Stephen Kenny to be handed new contract until end of 2024 Euro campaign

IRELAND FOOTBALL fans and Stephen Kenny are set to be handed an early Christmas present this year as the current Ireland boss is set to have his contract extended until the end of the Boys in Green’s Euro 2024 campaign, this comes from the Irish Examiner.

The Dubliners Ireland tenure has had mixed results, but Kenny's side has started to bear more positive fruits at the backend of the previous qualifying campaigns.

But it is reported that CEO Jonathan Hill has been instructed by the FAI’s board to hand Kenny a new deal until the end of the Euro 2024 campaign.

At the FAI’s National Assembly on Monday night, the news started to break.

FAI hope to tie down Stephen Kenny for Euro 2024 qualifying campaign https://t.co/EysGsQODkz

— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) December 13, 2021

The FAI CEO, Hill, quoted by the Examiner, said

“The board has now given me a mandate to negotiate with Stephen Kenny and that will be key to our overall messaging,”

Kenny’s Ireland finished their World Cup campaign off with a flourish after a disappointing start to Ireland’s World Cup qualification campaign,

The Boys in Green have only lost once since that embarrassing Aviva defeat to Luxembourg in March. This was an injury time winner from Portugal.

Ireland are now in the top-50 in the FIFA world rankings again after falling out previous.

Ex pundits have questioned whether Kenny is the right man, but that now seems to be the case.

Ireland and Stephen Kenny's side will know the outcome of the Nations League draw this Thursday. The draw is set to take place in Nyon.

Ireland are still in League ‘B’ and are third-seeds in that pot.

Kenny explained in October that Nations League success is something he's gunning for.

“We’re evolving as a team and we still have a lot of improving to do. But in all seriousness, one of the things we’ve looked at is the Nations League,” he said.

“Our ambition is to win the group as that will give you a European Championship playoff regardless of how you do in qualifying.

“We’re prioritizing it and we’re determined to win. Myself and Keith Andrews have sat down and discussed it. If we apply ourselves and continue to improve and the players get more exposure we’ll give ourselves every chance.

“We’ll make it a priority and we’ll strive to do that. I feel that’s realistic for us to want to do that.”

Kenny’s contract situation seems to have come sooner and it will delight many fans who backed the Ireland boss