Ireland are on the search for a new manager after Stephen Kenny’s lacklustre reign as boss came to an end.

There have been plenty of names linked to the now vacant managerial position. So who might become the new Ireland boss?

Lee Carsley

READ MORE: Stephen Kenny loses job as Ireland manager as candidates line up

Former Everton midfielder Carsley has enjoyed significant success as England Under-21s boss, guiding his side to European Championship glory last summer. Born in Birmingham, he won 40 senior caps for Ireland and, at 49, has a vast amount of coaching experience and knowledge having taken up roles at Coventry, Sheffield United, Brentford, Manchester City, Birmingham and England Under-20s.

Roy Keane

The 52-year-old former Manchester United star served as Martin O’Neill’s number two during his five-year reign with Ireland. He still however, remains a divisive figure and some doubt his man-management abilities. While he still enjoys the kind of profile which makes him a major figure in football, his lack of recent work as a coach could haunt him. He hasn't worked with a set of players since leaving his assistant role at Nottingham Forest four years ago.

Chris Hughton

Current Ghana boss Hughton won 53 caps for Ireland as a player. He has vast experience as a manager, guiding Newcastle and Brighton into the Premier League and has also managed Birmingham and Norwich. The 64-year-old was less successful in his most recent domestic role at Nottingham Forest, but has been working as Ghana boss since February.

Sam Allardyce

Allardyce is renowened for reorganising and revitalising struggling sides, something that this Ireland side could well do with. He's also known for his defensive prowess. The 69 -year old's brief stint at Leeds last season didn't work out but did little to negatively impact the former England manager's reputation.

Neil Lennon

Lennon has long been touted as a future Ireland manager after a wonderful first spell at Celtic where he led the club to three successive Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and the last 16 in the Champions League. However his second spell at Parkhead was one to forget as they trailed rivals Rangers by 18 points when he lost his job.

Mick McCarthy

It was McCarthy who made way for Kenny in 2020 despite doing a respectable job. The prospect of taking the role for a third time might prove attractive to the 64-year-old, who guided the nation to the 2002 World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan. He has most recently been undertaking punditry duty at Virgin Media Sport.

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