Jim McGuinness in the mix for next Republic of Ireland manager, according to bookies

Jim McGuinness has more of a chance of becoming the next Republic of Ireland boss than established football managers, according to the bookies.

Former Donegal boss Jim McGuinness announced his departure from Beijing Sinobo Guoan on Tuesday. McGuinness was brought in as Roger Schmidt's assistant at the Chinese football club. The former Bayer Leverkusen boss snapped him up on a two-and-a-half year contract after seeing what he did at Celtic, but McGuinness was released early from the deal. In his statement, McGuinness hinted at a new venture closer to home.

"I feel my experience in Beijing has set me up for the next stage in my development and I look forward to a new chapter in Europe."

https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/950787112986726400 Whenever an announcement like this is made, it's important to not get carried away with speculation. However, Martin O'Neill is being linked with a Premier League return. Considering the Derry man has not yet signed the contract extension he verbally agreed to, the hunt for the next Republic of Ireland manager could begin soon. According to Paddy Power's odds, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that McGuinness could be the successor to O'Neill's green throne. You can get the Donegal man to be the next Ireland manager at 33/1. This means that they view him as likely to get the gig as established managers such as Paul Lambert and Paul Jewell. However, they see the likes of Robbie Keane, Ryan Giggs and even Mick McCarthy as far more likely to succeed O'Neill as Ireland boss. Image credit: Paddy Power