Giovanni Trapattoni has admitted that he could be in his final week as Ireland manager – then vowed to remove all doubts about his future with victory over Estonia.

Trapattoni’s Ireland team are two games away from qualification for the Euro 2012 finals as they prepare to play the Estonians in the first leg of the play-offs on Friday night.

Victory over the two legs will guarantee Trap a new deal and seal the country’s first appearance at a major finals in 10 years – defeat will almost certainly end his time with association with the Irish.

“Yes, yes. These could be my final games with Ireland,” said Trapattoni in Tallinn ahead of the first leg against the Euro minnows.

“But I am not nervous about this because I know football. I was talking the other days about standing on the edge of the cliffs - that’s our life, it’s a manager’s life.

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“Our life is dangerous. I have a habit of looking down on dangerous situations. But I think I will live, if not here, then maybe there is another. I don’t know where, but sure, I am not stopping here.”

Estonia are rank outsiders to make it to the European finals in Poland and the Ukraine next summer but Trapattoni won’t take them for granted in tonight’s first game or in Dublin next Tuesday.

He added: “In football every Sunday, or in England Saturday, you see little teams beat the great teams. That’s football. For me, it is no surprise.

“But we must think these 180 minutes is our life, players, manager, the Irish people. I will be very proud if we achieve this result because it means up until now we have done our jobs well.”

Stoke City striker Jonathon Walters is favourite to start alongside Robbie Keane upfront but Trapattoni won’t confirm his decision until just before kick-off.

He has named 10 of the 11 players who will start the game with Stephen Kelly replacing the injured John O’Shea at right-back.

Republic of Ireland team: Shay Given; Stephen Kelly, Sean St Ledger, Richard Dunne, Stephen Ward; Damien Duff, Glenn Whelan, Keith Andrews, Aiden McGeady; Robbie Keane, Jonathan Walters/Simon Cox.

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