Stoke suffer fresh setback in search for manager as Martin O'Neill walks away from negotiations... with ex-Norwich boss Paul Lambert now a contender

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Martin O’Neill has walked away from negotiations with Stoke City over their vacant manager’s job and will continue as Republic of Ireland manager.

Now Paul Lambert has emerged as a genuine contender and he is understood to have had lengthy discussions with John Coates, Stoke’s vice-chairman, and chief executive Tony Scholes.

Lambert, the former Norwich, Aston Villa, Blackburn and Wolves boss, emerged as a contender after O’Neill and Espanyol’s Quique Sanchez Flores decided not to take the post. 

Martin O’Neill walked away from negotiations with Stoke City over becoming their manager

Stoke have endured further disappointment in their search for Mark Hughes' replacement

Paul Lambert has emerged as a contender with a meeting believed to have taken place

O’Neill’s decision centred on the 65-year-old’s request for a contract to 2020. 

Instead, he has chosen to remain with Ireland, with whom he agreed a new contract in October.

Gary Rowett was Stoke’s first choice to replace Mark Hughes, who was sacked last week, but the 43-year-old signed a new contract at Derby County amid the speculation.

Having now been rejected by three candidates, Stoke will keep Eddie Niedzwiecki — Hughes’s former assistant — in charge for tonight’s match against Manchester United.

Stoke now face a race against time to make an appointment before Saturday’s visit of Huddersfield.  

Discussions have been taking place after Quique Sanchez Flores decided to stay in Spain