Mick: Hands-off warning (Photography/Allsport)

Bookmakers in Manchester have slashed the odds against Republic boss McCarthy going back to his old club after some substantial wagers were laid on him.

But Pat Quigley, president of the Football Association of Ireland, who fears City could be interested in McCarthy, said: 'Mick is contracted to us until the end of the World Cup qualifying campaign and that's that.

'Personally I can't see how he could possibly think of going when the Republic team is top of the qualifying group and has a great chance of reaching the finals next year.

'Mick is doing a great job and we want to keep him.'

Ireland, who are three points clear in Group Two with just four matches to go, meet third-placed Portugal in Dublin a week on Saturday and then travel to Estonia four days later.

Then they have home ties against Holland and Cyprus in which to clinch automatic qualification this autumn.

McCarthy, who succeeded Jack Charlton as national team boss in February 1996, has now presided over 50 international matches and massively rebuilt the squad after missing out on the last two major championship finals when his team were beaten in play-offs for places at World Cup 98 in France and Euro 2000 in Holland and Belgium.