Armstrong awaits response

The IFA has been weighing up the vacant post in recent weeks and were thought to be preparing to interview leading candidates.

Worthington's predecessor, Lawrie Sanchez, ruled himself out of the running on Monday by issuing a formal statement through his current club Barnet, indicating he had not applied for the job and had not been approached by his former employers.

Other contenders for the job include ex-Cardiff manager Dave Jones and former internationals Jim Magilton, Iain Dowie and Michael O'Neill - who is currently bookmakers' favourite after announcing his exit from Shamrock Rovers.

"I'd like to return to Northern Ireland. Whether people like it or not, I'm the most successful manager since the days of Billy Bingham, and statistically actually better than Billy Bingham. "
Gerry Armstrong Quotes of the week

But Sky Sports co-commentator Armstrong, who became a legend after representing Northern Ireland in the 1982 World Cup and was assistant manager under both Bryan Hamilton and Sanchez, has suggested an appointment may not be close.

Embarrassment

"I feel I've as good a chance as anybody. But I haven't heard anything else, so as yet nothing's moving," he told UTV.

"There are a lot of good candidates that have applied. Until the Irish FA decide what they want to do, who they want to speak to and until they have the official interviews I don't think anything will move.

"I spoke to Dave Jones, funnily enough, a few days ago and Dave told me the same thing. He hasn't heard anything from the Irish FA."

The IFA is in no rush to name a new boss before the new year, but are eager to have a manager in place in good time to prepare for the first match of 2012, a friendly against Norway at Windsor Park on 29th February.

Sanchez, meanwhile, has expanded on his reasons for distancing himself from a return to Windsor Avenue.

Ill-informed

He blamed misreporting of an interview he gave in September about the performance of Worthington for making it "inappropriate" for him to return.

"It caused me a lot of embarrassment and I'm sure it caused Nigel a lot of embarrassment as well and on the back of that, some ill-informed comments came from managers and players," he said.

"The fuss caused by that interview has made it inappropriate for me to apply at this time. I've since written to Nigel apologising for any embarrassment that was caused.

"I'd like to return to Northern Ireland. Whether people like it or not, I'm the most successful manager since the days of Billy Bingham, and statistically actually better than Billy Bingham.

"But at the current time, with the fuss caused by that interview, it wasn't the appropriate time."