DUBLIN: Mick McCarthy has been appointed as new manager of the Republic of Ireland but will be succeeded by Stephen Kenny after the Euro 2020 campaign.

Kenny has been appointed under-21 boss but will take the main job in 2020. He has stepped down from his role as manager of League of Ireland champions Dundalk.

The Republic job became vacant after Martin O’Neill’s departure on Wednesday.

McCarthy, 59, said that he was “excited and honoured to be back with the Republic of Ireland”.  The new manager confirmed the widely expected news that Terry Connor and the Republic’s all-time leading goalscorer Robbie Keane will be his assistant coaches.

He said: “I’m delighted to have Terry Connor, a trusted colleague and excellent coach, and Robbie Keane, one of the finest players who I had the pleasure of managing, helping me as assistant coaches. I am looking forward to getting started and embracing this challenge to qualify for Euro 2020.”

McCarthy guided the Republic to the 2002 World Cup finals in his previous stint in charge.

O’Neill and his assistant Roy Keane have left their jobs in the wake of relegation from UEFA Nations League Group B4

The pair were appointed in 2013 and guided the Republic to the last 16 of the 2016 European Championship. However, they have not won a competitive game this year.

In his 55 games in charge, O’Neill had a win ratio of just over 34pc with 19 wins, 20 draws and 16 defeats and he used a total of 65 players, including 28 international debutants.

The 66-year-old handed international debuts to 12 players this year as the former Leicester, Sunderland and Celtic manager looked to build a new-look squad for the start of the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.

The Republic will be among the third seeds for the European qualifiers when the draw is made in Dublin on 2 December.

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