Former Portsmouth favourite and ‘strong’ Southampton contender out of running for Championship post after talks
The Fratton favourite was strongly linked with Southampton last week, and has held talks with another Championship side in Norwich City. Here’s the latest over Gary O’Neil.
Former Pompey favourite Gary O’Neil is out of the reckoning for the Norwich City job, according to reports.
The former Blues midfielder, who is said to be a ‘strong contender’ for the vacant Southampton post, has held talks over becoming Liam Manning’s successor.
Norwich and O’Neil looking at other avenues
But, according to the Pink Un, both the former Fratton Premier League operator and the Canaries are instead looking at other options.
O’Neil has been out of management since his exit from Wolves last December, with the 42-year-old linked with a number of potential opportunities to return since.
Forceful talk of the Fratton academy graduate taking the Southampton job after Will Still’s sacking surfaced last week, with O’Neil said to be under consideration for the position.
He is still a prominent figure in the betting for the posting as he sits second in the odds behind favourite Tonda Eckert, who is interim charge of the club.
The impetus behind O’Neil moving to Southampton has slowed in recent days, however, with the club’s fans kicking back against the notion of his appointment.
An interview with The News’ chief sports writer, Neil Allen resurfaced as O’Neil expressed his desire to one day manage Pompey - as he spoke about his £5m exit for Middlesbrough in 2007.
He said in Played Up Pompey Three: ‘Harry obviously felt it was time for me to move on. Besides, they were receiving a decent fee – £5m. Well, if they don’t want me, then I’ll go. I accepted my fate.
‘Having signed for Middlesbrough on transfer deadline day, I returned to the south coast to collect some stuff, popping into our Eastleigh training ground to say goodbye to my good friends Richard Hughes and Linvoy Primus, plus everybody else. It was an emotional day.
‘One minute I was sitting in my newly decorated Warsash house with my baby daughter, Summer-Mae, thinking everything was fine, having been Pompey’s captain a few months earlier. Then, within a 24-hour whirlwind, I was gone.
‘After 11 years, 192 appearances and 17 goals, I said farewell to Fratton Park. I loved it there and still feel I have unfinished business.
‘I established a relationship with the fans which I never had anywhere else in my career. Even though I was from Bromley, in Kent, I did my real growing up at Pompey, this school kid who arrived - then left as a Premier League footballer.
‘I’m certain that one day I will manage Portsmouth Football Club, that’s my aim. Hopefully that moment is part of my future.’
Swede the bookies’ favourite for Carrow Road role
With O’Neil out of the Norwich running it is former Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson who is currently being favoured by the oddsmakers to take the head coach role. The Swede is a best-priced 1/3 behind O’Neil and Daniel Farke (12/1).
O’Neil has also been mentioned with the Middlesbrough job after Rob Edwards joined Wolves. Austrian Raphael Wicky and Swede Kim Hellberg are two strong names being linked with Boro.
Hellberg was in talks over the Swansea job, after meeting CEO Tom Gorringe, but Russell Martin is now being touted for the position in south Wales.