Vera Pauw: ‘I’m very happy in Ireland. I want to stay. But I’m not part of that process’

Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw hopes that her ongoing contract negotiations with the FAI prove successful. Expressing an unambiguous desire to remain in the job after next month’s World Cup in Australia, the 60 year old has stepped away from direct talks with the association’s chief executive Jonathan Hill.

Ciarán Medlar, a partner at BDO Ireland, the consultancy firm that advises multiple professional Irish athletes including former men’s captain Robbie Keane, is conducting negotiations on Pauw’s behalf.

“For now I’m just busy with the World Cup,” said Pauw in advance of Thursday’s friendly against Zambia at a sold-out Tallaght stadium. “We need to be ready on the 20th of July. That needs my full, full attention. We have our plans in between the games and we’ll see how far we come. If things are going fine then I’m going to plan for after.

“Let me be clear, I’m very happy in Ireland. Everybody can see that. Everybody feels that. I want to stay. But I’m not part of that process. Ciarán Medlar is talking [to the FAI]. I’m not involved in that. I do talk of course about the content with management, like I always do, but he takes care of that.”

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Pauw also revealed that Aoife Mannion’s chances of featuring at the World Cup remain touch and go. The final 23-woman Ireland squad is named at a ceremony in UCD next Thursday.

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The Manchester United centre half only declared for Ireland this year, making her debut against China in March before suffering a reoccurrence of an old knee injury.

The 27-year-old has not linked up with the squad and is still wearing a knee brace.

“The brace will go off on Monday and then we have to take a decision. Everything has been going according to plan, but it’s really, really tight. We will see on Monday, we will give more updates and next week with the squad announcement we will know for sure whether we will take a chance or not.”