Michael O'Neill to stay at Blackburn Rovers? Huge Ewood Park update emerges | OneFootball

The joint Northern Ireland and Blackburn Rovers boss has revealed where his future lies

Northern Ireland's dreams of qualifying for just their fourth World Cup in their history ended on Thursday night, when Italy beat them 2-0 in Bergamo in their play-off semi-final.

It was always going to be a tall order for the Green and White Army to topple the European giants, who themselves are aiming to end a 12-year absence from the biggest competition in the world, and in the end, the pressure told in the second half through goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean.

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill hit headlines back in February, though, when he was unveiled as the new Blackburn Rovers boss, replacing Valerien Ismael. In a turn of events that is rarely seen in the modern era of football, it was revealed that he'd be juggling both domestic and international roles for the rest of the campaign.

The move raised a few eyebrows at the time, with many critics believing that Blackburn needed someone fully dedicated to their club amidst a battle to avoid relegation to League One.

But some speculated that these few months would be a transition period, balancing both while he finishes his Northern Ireland duties before becoming the main man at Ewood Park full-time.

Michael O'Neill reveals plans for his managerial future

Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. O'Neill's contract with Blackburn runs out at the end of the season, while his contract with the Northern Irish FA runs out in 2028.

Speaking to Goal after the game, he's indicated that his focus at the conclusion of this season will be with the national team, rather than at Ewood Park.

"It's tough when you lose; the team is very disappointed. Of course, there are plenty of positives, but we don't have a large squad, and when certain players are missing, it's a struggle," he said.

"When we analyse the match and our overall progress, we'll find plenty of positives.

"A lot of work had already been done before I arrived at Blackburn. I'll remain manager for Tuesday evening's match [vs Wales] and for Blackburn's next seven games. I will manage the remaining seven games for Blackburn, but my contract is still with the Irish FA until 2028.

"After my final games as manager, I'll return to my role as head coach."

Not the news that Rovers fans would want to hear, as, while no one can doubt the commitment that O'Neill has towards the club, it'd be more reassuring to know that the man in the dugout would be affected by a possible relegation in terms of his managerial status for the following year.

It will also likely mean that there'll be yet another managerial search at Ewood Park this coming summer, marking their fourth permanent manager in a little over two years.

Michael O'Neill can bow out on a high at Blackburn Rovers

Regardless of whether Michael O'Neill will be staying at Ewood Park past the end of this season, the focus will remain the same across the final eight games.

Rovers are currently sitting four points above the bottom three, owing to four big points picked up in their last two games against promotion-chasers Millwall and Middlesbrough. However, they're not home and hosed just yet.

With seven games left, the major focus right now will be ensuring that enough points are picked up to secure their Championship status for next season, so whoever comes after O'Neill in the dugout will be managing in the second tier at least.

With no World Cup distractions in the summer, the current dual-manager will understandably have more of a focus on the current task at hand at Ewood Park, and if he can keep Blackburn afloat, when it looked like relegation was on the cards under Valerien Ismael, he'd have done a good job.

Perhaps then, leaving while he's still thought of positively in East Lancashire may be the smartest decision to make.