NORTHERN IRELAND boss Michael O’Neill said he was “tired” of being asked the same “bad question” over and over again.
O’Neill, 56, has been manager of the Green and White Army since 2022, but also signed a deal to become the boss of Championship outfit Blackburn in February.
That dual role – in which he is tasked with ensuring Rovers avoid relegation – has seen him face a barrage of questions about his future as the national team boss.
Following the defeat to Italy in World Cup qualifying last week, O’Neill faced the question once again.
One reporter asked him whether there had been any update on his future, using the “I’ll be back” catchphrase in the question to coincide with Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s trip to Belfast.
The question got a chuckle out of O’Neill, who said: “You’ve asked some bad questions over the years, [but] you’ve excelled here.”
O’Neill then restored his game face and continued: “You do ask all the time. I was asked that by an Italian journalist on Thursday night.
“Nothing’s changed.”
Asked about taking charge of the national team’s June games and Nations League games, O’Neill reiterated his point.
He added: “When Blackburn’s season is finished, as I have constantly and repeatedly said, my contract with the IFA will continue on a two-year contract.
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O’Neill’s current deal takes him up to Euro 2028.
After World Cup hopes – in which Northern Ireland haven’t played since 1986 – were dashed in the 2-0 defeat to Italy, O’Neill will lead the team in a friendly against Wales tonight.
At club level, O’Neill’s Blackburn sit four points above the relegation zone in 19th place with seven games to go.
Rovers have not played in League One since 2018.
