Michael O’Neill has emerged as a contender for the Leicester City job, our Football Insider Graeme Bailey has learned.

Leicester currently have Craig Shakespeare as caretaker boss – he was assistant to Claudio Ranieri, who was sacked last week.

Shakespeare guided Leicester to a 3-1 win over Liverpool on Monday, and whilst the club could very well appoint him until the end of the season – it is understood they are talking to other candidates.

One of those was former England boss Roy Hodgson, but our Football Insider Graeme Bailey can confirm that O’Neill is also in their thinking.

“O’Neill has done wonderfully well at Northern Ireland and I have been told Leicester are hugely impressed by him, and why wouldn’t they?

“He is widely known to have turned down the advances of Celtic last summer and that shows just how highly regarded he is in football.

“This is one to keep an eye on, O’Neill is one to watch and he would look like fitting the bill for someone like Leicester.”

Contention

With the news of Leicester’s interest in O’Neill he was immediately listed third favourite for the job, behind Shakespeare and Hodgson.

We spoke with BetVictor’s head of ante post football Michael Triffitt and he told TheGamblingTimes.com:  “Plenty of rumour and speculation which you well expect in manager market betting but at this stage following Mondays great win, caretaker Shakespeare looks a more logical outcome although that word and manager markets generally never go hand in hand of course!.

“Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill has been introduced into the betting and has been nibbled at to 14/1 from 16/1 .

“He has been touted up for several recent jobs without perhaps ever really been a contender but the longer these situations stay vacant the more candidates emerge which gives us beleaguered bookmakers half a chance of finishing ahead although the eventual winner is always well backed towards the final announcement.”