Former Birmingham City, Newcastle United, and Brighton coach slated for new managerial position

Chris Hughton, the former manager of Birmingham City, is expected to take over as manager of the Republic of Ireland national side.

Since November, when the ROI opted not to renew Stephen Kenny’s contract, the club has been without a manager. Former Blues coach John O’Shea was in interim charge against Belgium and Switzerland, although he is unlikely to be appointed permanently.

According to the Irish Sun, former Birmingham City manager Chris Hughton is emerging as a potential contender for the post. Ireland recently announced the departure of their CEO, and David Courell, who is serving as temporary CEO, may appoint Hughton, according to reports that certain association insiders are putting him forward for the position.

Lee Carsley, who played for Birmingham from 2008 to 2010, was the leading candidate for the position, but discussions fell through. The 50-year-old is the manager of England’s under-21 team, which won the European Championship last summer.

Former Fulham defender Chris Coleman, who led Wales to their first major tournament and to the semi-finals of EURO 2016, was also mentioned. Coleman was another finalist who was eliminated immediately after being linked to the job. Last week, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer emerged as the bookies’ favourite, although insiders close to him rejected the claim as gossip.

Hughton has been out of job for three months after being removed of his duties as Ghana’s national team manager. The Black Stars failed to advance beyond their group in the Africa Cup of Nations event, which took place from January to February.

Hughton’s 15-year managing tenure began with his appointment to the Ghana national team. He was appointed Newcastle United’s permanent manager in 2009 and won the Sky Bet Championship after their relegation, however he was fired after a few games into the following season.

Hughton replied by taking over Birmingham after their relegation and managing them through their UEFA Europa League campaign, despite leaving them in a play-off spot. He left at the end of the season to take over at Norwich City, leading them to an 11th-place finish, but was fired toward the end of the 2013/14 season.

For the second time in his career, he was promoted from the Championship, this time to Brighton, however after little under four years, he was let go. He returned to management with Nottingham Forest over a year later, guiding them to safety before being fired after their worst start to a season since 1913.