Football: O'Neill opts to remain at Leicester

MARTIN O'NEILL is to remain as manager of Leicester City after lengthy talks at the weekend in France with the chairman of the club's plc, Sir Rodney Walker.

O'Neill had made noises about leaving Leicester after a public disagreement with the board and was the first choice to take over at Goodison Park.

However, following the Everton chairman, Peter Johnson's failure to sack Howard Kendall last week, O'Neill was undecided about his future and Walker persuaded him to stay.

O'Neill's verdict has come as a shock to Johnson, who was due to fly from France today for summit talks with Kendall, a meeting where he was expected to deliver the news that the manager was officially sacked.

Johnson's second choice is Brian Kidd, the Manchester United assistant manager, but that would mean an official approach to United, who could refuse them permission to speak to him.

Stewart Houston, former manager of Queen's Park Rangers, is set to join Ipswich as first-team coach to replace Bryan Hamilton, who has moved to Norwich as director of football.

Trevor Francis, the Birmingham manager, is to begin talks today with chairman David Gold about signing a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2000.

The Aston Villa manager, John Gregory, said yesterday that he has been inundated with telephone calls from angry supporters in the wake of Stan Collymore's assault on his girlfriend, Ulrika Jonsson, in a Paris bar last week.

Gregory said: "I have been inundated with calls from fans who are disgusted with what Stan did, and no one is more disgusted than me. The feeling among the fans is that we should sack him, but it just is not as easy as that."

Collymore ended last season on the bench and Gregory said: "Everyone will start on level terms when they come back for the new season. But Stan's actions have given me more ammunition - he has loaded my rifle. It will be up to him to force his way back into the side."

Joachim Bjorklund, the Rangers defender, may be moving to Spanish side Valencia in a pounds 2.2m deal. The Swede still has two years of his present contract left at Ibrox, but could be sold to provide further transfer funds for the incoming Dutch coach, Dick Advocaat.

Meanwhile, Rangers' attempts to prize Youri Djorkaeff away from Internazionale look doomed. Djorkaeff is keen to stay at the San Siro and help Inter build on their Uefa Cup success, despite the threat to his place caused by the imminent arrival of Roberto Baggio.

Swindon Town have made their fourth signing of the summer, snapping up defender Alan Reeves from Wimbledon for free under the Bosman ruling.