The Irish FA is close to agreeing a deal for Michael O'Neill to return as Northern Ireland manager on a long-term contract.
It follows weeks of talks with the former Stoke City boss, who was the No 1 target.
O'Neill spent eight years in the role between 2012 and 2020.
His first game is expected to be away to San Marino in a European Championship qualifier on March 23 followed by a return to Belfast as they host Finland three days later.
Former Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough was sacked in October after narrowly avoiding relegation to the bottom tier of the Nations League.
Baraclough lost 14 of his 28 games in charge, beating only Lithuania, Kosovo, Estonia, Malta and Luxembourg during his two-year reign.
