Huge ex-Portsmouth favourite set for third Premier League managerial job at age of 43
The midfielder made 192 appearances and scored 17 times for the Blues before leaving in August 2007
A former Pompey favourite is set to be appointed as a Premier League boss for a third time.
Gary O’Neil continues to have a flourishing reputation as a highly-regarded young manager in the game.
Indeed, plenty of the Fratton faithful would love an emotional homecoming sometime for the former midfielder who featured 192 times and scored 17 times for the Blues.
Now aged 43, he has been lined up to take over at Ipswich, following the surprise departure of Kieran McKenna earlier this month.
Lined up to leave Strasbourg for Ipswich
O’’Neil is currently manager of French club Strasbourg, who he last season led to eighth in Ligue 1 and into the semi-finals of the Uefa Conference League.
However, according to The East Anglian Daily Times, he has been given permission to talk to the Tractor Boys by Strasbourg owners BlueCo, who also have Chelsea in their footballing stable.
It is claimed that personal terms are close to being agreed, with no issues anticipated over compensation and the finalising of the appointment.
For O’Neil, it would represent a return to the Premier League after an absence of 18 months, when he was dismissed as Wolves manager.
Ironically, that December 2024 exit came following a last-gasp 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich, marking a fourth successive loss and leaving them 19th in the table.
O'Neil had replaced Julen Lopetegui as Molineux boss four days before the start of the 2023-24 season, helping them finish 14th.
However, he was dismissed amid off-field issues which, ultimately, influenced their relegation from the Premier League last season some 18 months after he had left.
Dismissed at Bournemouth after keeping them in Premier League
Previously, O’Neil was at Bournemouth, having initially taken over from Scott Parker as caretaker boss in August 2022 following a 9-0 demolition at Liverpool.
He was appointed permanently as head coach in November 2022 after impressing during his time at the helm, signing an 18-month deal.
The former West Ham man kept the Cherries in the top flight, yet was still sacked after the 2022-23 ended, being replaced by former Ray Vallecano manager Andoni Iraola.
Pompey fans, however, will largely remember O’Neil as an energetic central midfielder who spent more than a decade at Fratton Park after arriving in their youth-team from his native Bromley.
11 years at Fratton Park
He would go on to feature in the 2002-03 promotion season under Harry Redknapp which earned Premier League football for the first time in Pompey’s history.
O’Neil later skippered the Blues and was crowned The News/Sports Mail Player of the Season in the 2005-06 Great Escape campaign.
He was sold to Middlesbrough in a £5m deal in August 2007 and went on to feature for West Ham, QPR, Norwich, Bristol City, Bolton and Aberdeen before retiring in the summer of 2020.
Now O’Neil is heading to Portman Road to oversee their return to the Premier League, having won promotion in second place under McKenna last season.