O Neill will not down tools

04 April 2010 09:38

Martin O'Neill admits he will discuss his future with Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner in the summer but insisted it was not in his nature to "down tools" purely over the size of the club's transfer budget.

Radio and internet reports circulated earlier in the week that O'Neill was set to quit his post, but on Thursday night he attempted to bring some clarity to his position by saying that he would meet with Lerner in the summer to talk about his future, as he has every summer since taking charge.

The Northern Irishman insisted having money to spend would not be the be-all and end-all in coming to a decision over his future. He told The Observer: "If that situation did develop, that wouldn't necessarily mean I would go and down tools and say, 'Well, listen, we can't go any further.'"

He added: "What you would do is see if you can come up with some other ways, maybe through the scheme here with the younger players coming through, maybe with a bit of trading here and there, maybe taking a risk with a major player to be transferred [out] to sort things out.

"You wouldn't just down tools. It's not been in my nature to do that. I couldn't envisage that sort of scene - just throwing the toys out of the pram. I feel maybe I should have a say in my career as much as anyone else - that was the point I was trying to make. Actually I didn't make it too cleverly but it doesn't really matter."

O'Neill added that he feels he should "consider (his) value a bit more".

He said: "I don't think I have ever in my managerial time really given my valuation its proper consideration. Honestly. People can turn around and tell you, you are the biggest big-head ever but I actually don't think I've done that.

"I don't have an agent, I've never had an agent, I might be the only manager in Europe who doesn't have an agent. What I should do, I should really consider my value a wee bit more."

Source: PA