Michael O'Neill offered four-year contract extension by Northern Ireland in face of Scotland interest

Michael O'Neill has been offered a four-year extension to his contract as Northern Ireland manager.

The Irish Football Association (IFA) are desperate to retain their manager's services amid fierce interest and have offered him a lucrative new deal to stay in charge until 2024.

The offer was made to O'Neill before the IFA granted him permission last week to speak to the Scottish FA about the vacant Scotland manager's job. O'Neill existing £500,000-a-year deal expires in 2020.

O'Neill, who lives in Edinburgh, is very interested in the prospect of taking over Scotland and has also been linked with the vacant West Bromwich Albion post and the manager's job at Rangers.

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Talks with Scotland have been delayed after O'Neill's mother, Patricia, passed away over the weekend. The funeral will be held on Wednesday.

The IFA's offer would see O'Neill remain as Northern Ireland manager for the forthcoming Euro 2020 qualifying campaign as well as for the subsequent World Cup 2022 and Euro 2024 qualifiers.

O'Neill guided Northern Ireland to the last 16 of Euro 2016 but the country were beaten in a World Cup play-off by Switzerland to narrowly miss out on a place in Russia.