Martin O’Neill is reportedly in the mix for a shock role on the continent, five years since his last role as a manager.

The Northern Irishman took charge of the Republic of Ireland national team for five years in the 2010s alongside assistant coach Roy Keane, leading the team to the knockout stages at EURO 2016.

Things turned sour in the final stages of his time as manager, with poor form leading to the O’Neill-Keane ticket exiting stage left after a dismal 2018-19 UEFA Nations League campaign.

Following their exit from the Irish setup, O’Neill and Keane teamed up once again at their mutual former club of Nottingham Forest in early 2019. Things did not work out as planned for the pair, and O’Neill was sacked just six months later.

He has been out of work as a manager since that 2019 spell at the City Ground, but reports on the continent suggest that he could soon be named manager of Rapid Bucharest, in a thoroughly surprising move.

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Martin O’Neill reportedly in the mix for Rapid Bucharest job

19 November 2018; Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill during the UEFA Nations League B match between Denmark and Republic of Ireland at Ceres Park in Aarhus, Denmark. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Fanatik report that Rapid Bucharest are working hard to secure Martin O’Neill’s signature as their next manager.

Holding less of a presence than their local rivals Steaua and Dinamo, Rapid have nonetheless won the Romanian Liga I on three occasions, most recently in 2002-03. Their most recent silverware came in the 2006-07 Cupa Romaniei.

This season saw Rapid finish an impressive second in the regular season behind Steaua, their highest finish after being resurrected from administration in 2021. They have, however, endured a wretched run of form in the play-offs, losing seven of their eight games, leading to manager Cristiano Bergodi being sacked in mid-April.

Former Romania international Bogdan Lobont is currently in charge as a caretaker, but reports suggest that Rapid are hoping to have a decision made on bringing in Martin O’Neill by the end of next week.

It would certainly be a surprise to see former Celtic and Aston Villa boss O’Neill come out of exile as a manager, especially in such an unexpected destination. Time will tell if there is any truth to these rumours.

Earlier this week, Aiden McGeady spoke about how O’Neill’s unchanging managerial methods had met some initial resistance when he took over as Ireland manager in 2013.

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