Eoin Doyle: FAI right to take time over manager appointment

As speculation persists about who the next Republic of Ireland manager will be, former Preston, St Patrick's Athletic and Sligo Rovers striker Eoin Doyle believes a longer-term view is of more importance, pointing to four years' time when he hopes the Boys in Green will emerge from a transitional period with a squad that will have gathered more moss in the experience stakes.

Speaking on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast, the 35-year-old who spent a decade playing in the UK, in between spells in the League of Ireland, feels the FAI have been right to avoid making a quick decision on the vacancy that opened up after the parting of ways with Stephen Kenny.

"I know there's been so much noise regarding it and obviously lots of negativity towards the FAI in the way it's been approached and why it has taken so long but if I'm honest I think they've gone about it the right way, taking their time and doing some proper due diligence I'd imagine," he said.

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The Dubliner does not expect qualification for the next World Cup to be a realistic goal but with the Republic of Ireland set to co-host Euro 2028 and the potential that a young core could mature by then, Doyle believes the incoming manager primarily needs to be a personality that can steady the ship through transitional currents and navigate the choppy waters of media scrutiny.

"Regarding the next appointment, I don't really think the person that gets the job is that important in the sense of I think the manager of the national team in four years'