SOCCER: A few short miles from the Drimnagh home where he grew up, as well as from the various National League grounds where he established his reputation as one of the most astute figures in the Irish game, Brian Kerr will be unveiled this afternoon as the new manager of Ireland's senior national team.

The 49-year-old Dubliner will be paraded in front of a press corps with whom he is already more than familiar at the Shelbourne Hotel's Great (maybe that should be "Deadly" just for today) Room in the heart of the city centre.

The swift confirmation of his elevation to the senior post - the news was accidentally announced on the association's website yesterday afternoon - has been facilitated by the straightforward nature of the negotiations over the terms of his contract which took place at a hotel on the outskirts of London.

Although neither side would comment on the outcome of yesterday's talks, it is expected that Kerr has agreed a deal that will keep him in charge of the team until the end of its involvement in the 2006 World Cup. The financial details are unlikely to be revealed at this point, but the association has made no secret that their budget to fill the position was roughly in line with the £350,000 sterling a year paid to Mick McCarthy under the terms of his last deal, although a significant portion of this may be available to the new man only in the form of performance-related bonuses.

Technically the appointment must be rubber-stamped by a meeting of the association's board of management, which will meet this morning in Merrion Square, to consider the issue. The board undoubtedly contains a minority of members who will be less than thrilled by the new man's appointment, but the debate over how much say the association's directors would have in the process effectively ended before Kevin Fahy, Milo Corcoran and John Delaney set about the business of finding McCarthy's replacement.

The reality is that he would be almost certain to win any vote on the issue anyway, but this morning they will do no more than give their nod of approval to the arrangements.

Also sorted out between the three officers, their new manager and his agent, Fintan Drury, yesterday were the roles to be taken up by Kerr's long-time friend and collaborator Noel O'Reilly, and the man who emerged a couple of weeks ago as the surprise item in the successful candidate's manifesto - Chris Hughton.

O'Reilly is likely to attend this afternoon's announcement, and while there was some initial concern whether Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle would give his permission for the club's senior team coach to become involved in the Ireland set-up, Hoddle was quick yesterday to give his blessing.

"I won't stand in Chris' way," he said. "I am due to speak to him, and we would need to clear it with the board, but I have no objections to it happening."

Within the FAI, meanwhile, there will have to be some rapid reorganisation to deal with Kerr's sudden change of schedule. Sandra Powell, the administrator who does a good deal of the work relating to the association's various youth teams, is still out in the United Arab Emirates, where the draw for the World Youth Cup has yet to take place. The association was yesterday attempting to get somebody out to the Emirates to join her for the event.

There are also two underage friendlies lined up for early next month against Slovakia, and there were reports yesterday that Sean McCaffrey, one of the team of regional development officers assembled by Kerr over the past five years, will be asked to take charge of the youth side for those games.

Attention will then shift to the preparations for Kerr's first game in charge, the friendly against Scotland in Glasgow on February 12th. Don Givens is hoping to talk with the new senior team boss over the next day or so to determine which of the players eligible for his under-21 squad will be required for the main squad.

Under normal circumstances a good proportion of the regulars might be expected to cry off ahead of a friendly at what is an important stage of the season for their various clubs, but with the new man sizing up his options for the future Givens may find himself with a fairly strong panel to work with.

Kerr is sure to be already fairly clear on who he will want to include for the trip, but there was some speculation that he might not yet seek to have Roy Keane make himself available, preferring instead to concentrate on persuading the Corkman to return to the Ireland set-up at the end of March when the Republic's European Championship qualifying campaign resumes with vital away games in Georgia and Albania.