Sammy McIlroy is favourite to succeed Lawrie McMenemy as Northern Ireland manager and is expected to be interviewed for the job in the next few weeks.
The Irish Football Association have made an official approach to Macclesfield for their highly-rated boss, who has already said he wants the job.
Macclesfield and the IFA are refusing to comment for now and all McIlroy would
say is: "It's all up in the air".
However it is clear that the former Irish international, who won 88 caps, is
high on the IFA's shortlist of candidates and he would be a hugely popular
appointment with the fans.
IFA president Jim Boyce and general secretary David Bowen are contacting the
various people on their shortlist, although Boyce refused to comment on
McIlroy.
"It's no secret that our international committee have given myself and David
Bowen the power to look at the shortlist of candidates for the managerial
position," Boyce said.
"But there will be no comment made by the IFA until the international
committee meets to make a decision, which will hopefully be in early
December."
It is understood that Macclesfield would not stand in McIlroy's way if he were
offered the Northern Ireland post.
However the Third Division club would want to be compensated for the remaining
one-and-a-half years of his contract, which might prove to be a sticking point.