Gary O’Neil turns down chance to make immediate return to management.
Gary O’Neil has passed down the chance to make an instant return to management, talkSPORT understands.
Millwall approached O’Neil, who was fired by Wolves on Sunday, about taking up the empty position at The Den.
However, he feels it is too early to return to management.
Alex Neil and Steven Schumacher are also in contention for the Championship role.
Neil Harris, Millwall’s manager, resigned following a 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough on Saturday.
The result places the team 13th in the Championship after 20 matches this season.
David Livermore is now in command of the Lions ahead of this weekend’s trip to Blackburn.
O’Neil won 20 of Wolves’ 63 matches, but only two of them were in the Premier League this season.
Last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich was the club’s fourth in a row, leaving them 19th in the table.
Wolves confirmed the Portuguese hiring on Thursday.
Pereira will lead his debut match on Sunday, away to Leicester.
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Schumacher is also in the running to be the new Lions leader.Credit: Getty.
Meanwhile, neither Neil nor Schumacher have a club.
Neil has been out of the dugout since departing Stoke in December 2023, after 16 months in charge.
His past Championship teams include Sunderland, Preston, and Norwich.
Schumacher, the former Plymouth manager, most recently worked for Stoke.
However, he was fired by the Potters in September, barely nine months after joining from Home Park.
Harris’ Millwall leave came only days after he referred to some of the club’s fans as ‘thickos’.
However, while he couldn’t steer the team to victory in his final game in charge – a 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough – supporters sang his name throughout the 90 minutes.
He also shared an emotional moment with fans after the match, as he walked over to thank them – later describing his dig at fans as a ‘tiff’.
“It’s not the first tiff I’ve had with Millwall fans over the years, as a player and a coach,” said the former striker.
“People called it a tiff and there was maybe things in the press, but it’s not really. There’s certainly no anger or impact felt longer term on that, for me or the supporters.
“It was a beautiful moment for us, it was a shame it was 300 miles from home and there weren’t a few more here, but I don’t need that.
“I don’t need that because it’s been a privilege to lead this football club for so long. It’s a brilliant football club, it’s a unique football club and I’ll be back as a supporter in the future seeing everybody.
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“It was really emotional in the changing room for me and many of the guys who had been with me for a long period. My staff as well.
“All I can do is wish the club well, make sure that the fans who have supported me relentlessly over the years support the new regime that come in.”
O’Neil’s tenure at Wolves was marred by fan backlash, including a 4-0 loss to Everton in early December.
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