The Irish Football Association (IFA) yesterday claimed they have two more big names to speak to about the Northern Ireland job after Joe Royle became the latest manager to rule himself out of the running.

Royle - who yesterday turned down the chance to manage Bradford City - joins Ron Atkinson and Bruce Rioch on the list of people who have turned down the IFA's approaches.

But IFA president Jim Boyce remains undeterred. "I have another meeting with two of the highest profile people in the next week to 10 days," he said. "I can assure people that they are of the highest calibre, but I have not been able to speak to them before now."

Boyce admitted that he was disappointed by Royle's refusal but added he had planned to speak to his next two targets anyway.

He once again claimed that the IFA were in no hurry to appoint a new manager and he set a deadline of the end of next month. "There's no rush or panic and if there was a manager today, what would he be doing? Our next game is not until Colombia on March 25th and that is not 100 per cent confirmed.

"We will not be lowering our sights and the people still in the frame are people who we have been talking about from day one."