FAI chief executive John Delaney says he expects Martin O’Neill to sign his new contract as Ireland manager as early as next week or by the end of the month at the latest, writes Liam Mackey.

On the eve of Euro 2016, O’Neill, his assistant Roy Keane and their backroom staff verbally agreed a new deal which will take them through the World Cup 2018 qualifying campaign which begins in September.

Mr Delaney indicated yesterday that signing on the dotted line would be a mere formality.

“There’s no issues about that,” he said.

“Before the Euros, we announced, with Martin, that the management team’s contracts would be renewed and that they would be staying with us through the World Cup qualifiers.

“I spoke to Martin last week – I had to go to the Euros final and we’d have met Monday morning only for the fact that I was coming back when he was heading back to England.

“The contracts are there to be signed and it’s only a matter of myself and Martin meeting up to sign.

“I would expect that to be the next time I meet him, whether that is the back end of next week or it could be at the AGM (on July 30, in Tipperary) when he’s going to be there for a couple of days.

“But everything is agreed.”

The FAI boss was speaking at the National Sports Campus at the announcement today of an investment package of €7.4m from Sport Ireland to support grassroots development in football, rugby and Gaelic games.