Giovanni Trapattoni is believed to begin talks over a new deal with the Republic of Ireland after leading them to the Euro 2012 finals.

The national side, who cemented qualification with a 5-1 victory on aggregate after defeating Estonia 1-1 last night, are keen to keep hold of their 72-year-old boss, according to Sky Sports News.

The Italian was full of praise after his side's "satisfying" win over their Northern Europe opponents.

"We showed the Irish people we built a fantastic team and we deserved to qualify," said Trapattoni. "We have a good team with good players. We improved our qualities.

"After we lost against Russia we started with a new mentality and attitude. The players believed our system.

"The team improved and they believed what we asked from them. For us that is very satisfying."

It is the first time in ten years that Ireland has reached a major tournament.

Written by
Danielle Joynson