IPSWICH TOWN SAY there has been no approach for Mick McCarthy as the FAI’s headhunters prepare to brief the board on their manager search.

McCarthy was widely thought to be a leading candidate to succeed Giovanni Trapattoni along with bookies’ favourite Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane.

Ray Houghton and Ruud Dokter, the men tasked with finding Trap’s replacement, are set to provide an update tomorrow.

But Ipswich’s managing director revealed that there has been no contact regarding McCarthy, who managed Ireland between 1996 and 2002.

“We’ve had no approach – the owner, us at the club, nor Mick,” Ian Milne told BBC Look East.

It’s very much a ‘what if’ situation and we can’t deal with what ifs. We’ll worry about that if it happens.

Speculation about an appointment increased today as the FAI announced a home friendly against Latvia in Dublin on 15 November.

Bookmakers slashed Martin O’Neill’s odds to as short as 1/4 in places ahead of Houghton and Dokter’s expected briefing.

O’Neill was linked with the vacant Premier League job at Crystal Palace earlier this week but the Eagles have not made a definitive move yet with Alex McLeish and Chris Coleman the latest names thought to be in contention.

Managerless Ireland schedule Aviva friendly with Latvia