LONDON - Martin O'Neill does not want to be considered for the post of Northern Ireland manager because he is considering a return to club management in the near future, he was quoted as saying on Thursday.

O'Neill, 59, who captained the Irish at the 1982 World Cup finals and has 64 caps, told BBC Radio Ulster he was not interested in the job at the moment but could be in the future.

The Irish Football Association (IFA) are seeking a replacement for Nigel Worthington, who quit this week at the end of their disappointing Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

O'Neill, who has been out of the game since leaving Aston Villa at the start of last season, told Radio Ulster that while he did not wish to conduct an interview for broadcast, he was happy to be quoted on Thursday morning's programme.

He said he had not been approached by the IFA and was considering a return to club management but would not dismiss the possibility of taking the Northern Ireland job at a later stage in his career.