Michael O'Neill insists his stance on his long-term future has not changed as he prepares to resume Northern Ireland duties next week.
The Blackburn Rovers head coach has overseen seven games in the dugout, with Saturday's Ewood Park clash with Middlesbrough the final before he returns to managing his country for two weeks.
A lot will become clearer about O'Neill's position beyond the end of the season after this March break. Northern Ireland play on Thursday, March 26, against Italy in Bergamo in the World Cup play-off semi-final. They then travel to Wales or Bosnia for the final or a friendly on Tuesday, March 31.
O'Neill's focus has not strayed beyond those dates, nor May 2 where he will hope to celebrate keeping Rovers in the Championship.
"I'm not looking beyond (the World Cup play-offs). I have a two-year contract (with the Irish FA)," O'Neill told News Letter.
“For me not to be Northern Ireland manager, there would have to be an agreement between Blackburn and the IFA, I would have to want to do that, and at this minute in time, my focus is on the World Cup play-off and the remaining games for Blackburn Rovers.
"It's the same answer I gave you back four weeks ago...that's the situation and it hasn't changed since then.
"I understand it being asked once – I don't know why it has to be asked repeatedly.
"When I went in, my job was to go in as interim manager of Blackburn, that's what I've done. My job was to continue to manage Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off, that's what I'll do.”
O'Neill has been consistent that his work with Rovers will help Northern Ireland for these crucial games. He's had first-hand experience against his own players in recent weeks whilst gaining extra sharpness in his coaching by working day-to-day with the Blackburn squad.
"We've had seven games in four weeks,” he added. “In that period, I've seen a lot of my squad first-hand.
"I've seen them from a better view than sometimes you see it from the stand as well. There's been constant dialogue with the staff.
"If you look at the staff in our international team, they all work at clubs. Our analysts work at clubs, our coaching staff work at clubs, so we've had the same preparation leading into this game that we would normally have with regular Zoom calls and certain aspects of our preparation as well.
"We won't see the players until Sunday when they come into the hotel, hopefully fit and healthy, so I've not had to make too many changes.
"I've obviously been involved in games with Blackburn and the preparation of the team, which I think helps me.
"It sharpens me up after four months of not doing that from November. I'll get Saturday's game taken care of with Blackburn and focus then, as it always would be, on Thursday night in Bergamo.”
Steven Davis will also travel with O'Neill, leaving Phil Jones and Damien Johnson to hold the fort at the senior training centre in preparation for facing Birmingham City on Good Friday (April 3).
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