Irish FA - No contact from Norwich

Irish FA president Raymond Kennedy today insisted there had been no contact from Norwich City over Nigel Worthington - after reports that he could return to Carrow Road in a short-term role as manager.

Irish FA president Raymond Kennedy today insisted there had been no contact from Norwich City over Nigel Worthington - after reports that he could return to Carrow Road in a short-term role as manager.

Kennedy said they did not want to lose their boss in the middle of a World Cup qualifying campaign, after Lawrie Sanchez quit to take over Fulham during the Euro 2008 qualifiers.

“There has been no contact from Norwich City to date and I wouldn't think Nigel will go, but anything can happen in football,” said Kennedy.

“Certainly we don't want him to go and would do all we could to persuade him to stay.

“We don't want another situation where a manager leaves mid-campaign which happened last time and had a detrimental impact on our chances. Unlike then though there is a compensation clause in Nigel's contract which would help us.”

Worthington managed City for nearly six years before he was sacked in 2006, then a had five matches in charge of Leicester as caretaker boss.

Kennedy admitted, though, that there is a get-out clause for Worthington. His contract with Northern Ireland is up at the end of the year. The package negotiated with the IFA for that deal was about �450,000 per year.

Kennedy added: “I think Nigel has done fairly well as our manager and has taken great interest in the overall structure of football in Northern Ireland which should help us in the future. We have been unfortunate with our World Cup results so far, but we are not out of the reckoning.”

Northern Ireland's next qualifier is next month away to San Marino.