Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill has put pen to paper on a four-year contract extension that keeps him in charge until 2032.
O'Neill's future, until very recently, remained unresolved after taking caretaker charge of Blackburn Rovers in February.
The 56-year-old therefore had to balance his position as Northern Ireland manager with the Ewood Park hotseat and after successfully steering Blackburn clear of the relegation zone, the Championship club attempted to recruit him on a more permanent basis.
However, O'Neill decided to turn down the job, instead returning his full focus to his national team post.
Former Stoke City boss O'Neill has taken charge of a record 104 matches for Northern Ireland, earning qualification for Euro 2016, which was their first appearance at a major tournament for three decades.
In a statement released on Wednesday morning, O'Neill said: "This is a role that means a great deal to me.
"I continue to believe strongly in the potential of this group of players and the direction we are moving in. There is a lot of work ahead, but I am excited by the future."
After the disappointment of missing out on World Cup qualification following playoff defeat to Italy, O'Neill will now set his sights firmly on earning a spot at Euro 2028 that is being hosted across England, Scotland Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
Initially, it was intended that Northern Ireland would also co-host, however, by late 2024 it was announced that Casement Park would be dropped as a venue, thus making O'Neill's side ineligible for automatic qualification.
Over recent years Northern Ireland have had to rebuild their squad but the introduction of young players such as Isaac Price, Shea Charles and Conor Bradley has seen optimism grow regarding major tournament qualification in 2028.
Despite failing to reach the World Cup finals, they did top their 2024/25 Nations League group with a record of three wins, two draws and a loss; seeing them earn promotion to League B.
Drawn alongside Hungary, Ukraine and Georgia, they will kick-off their campaign in September behind closed doors against the latter in Tbilisi.
