MICK McCARTHY is to meet with Chris Armstrong this evening amid growing speculation that Millwall may seek compensation from the FAI after their former manager left the club with some two years of his contract still to run.

McCarthy, who plans to speak with Armstrong after Tottenham's game against West Ham, was unavailable for comment yesterday on the possibility of Millwall's demand.

However, a spokesman for the FAI confirmed that there had been "noises" about the possibility of a sequel to McCarthy's appointment to replace Jack Charlton as national team manager last week.

"There has been certain soundings but as yet no formal contact with the Millwall club," he said. "Our understanding was that no compensation was payable in this instance and hopefully that will be confirmed for us shortly."

In London however, the speculation is that Millwall will seek to implement a clause in McCarthy's contract entitling them to be reimbursed for the equivalent of a year's salary in the event of McCarthy departing prematurely.

That revelation will almost certainly come as something of a shock to Merrion Square however, who understood that McCarthy, like Joe Kinnear, was free to negotiate a summary release by the club if he was appointed to the Ireland post.

McCarthy recently signed a new three year deal with Millwall after rejecting an opportunity to replace the former England manager Graham Taylor at Wolves.

On the prospect of his meeting with Armstrong, McCarthy said: "People have been telling me different stories about Chris's Irish qualifications now I want to hear what the true position is from the man himself.

"I think it's time that this issue was put to bed. If Chris is qualified and wishes to pursue an international career with Ireland, we will, of course, be delighted to enlist him in the cause.

"If, on the other hand, he is ineligible, then it is desirable that we should finish this saga. It is possibly upsetting other members of our squad and it cannot be doing Armstrong any good either."