It was only this morning that we brought you news of Garth Brooks' ALLEGED desire to return to Ireland - and now bookies are offering 1/4 odds that the man in the cowboy hat will return in 2017.

BoyleSports are offering a number of 'Croke Park Specials' with odds on the Oklahoma man returning both to play one date at Croker next year, three dates at Croker next year, and odds on him returning to Croke Park before 2020.

If you're a betting man/woman, other names in the ring for next year's Croke Park stadium gigs include Ed Sheeran and Coldplay - but it's Brooks that is the favourite, according to the bookies.

A spokesperson for BoyleSports said: "Garth Brooks is almost a certainty to return to Croke Park next year if he’s allowed but diehard fans may well be disappointed as he will only be allowed to play three nights unless the Croke Park concert rule of three concerts per year is uplifted.

“Ed Sheeran, who is currently on a break from music wouldn’t be out of the running to play Croker in 2017 but if Mr Brooks has his way he will want to play all three available concert dates. The only thing that might backfire on him is that he disappointed a lot of fans with the fiasco that he caused in 2014 and his friends in low places may not have forgiven him.”

In any case, Bruce Springsteen's recent gigs were not announced until this February - so make sure you put that betting slip in a safe place, if you fancy a flutter.