'He's got those young players believing': Ex-international Keith Gillespie hails importance of Michael O'Neill remaining as Northern Ireland manager
Keith Gillespie has outlined why Michael O'Neill's decision to remain as Northern Ireland manager marks the country’s best chance of reaching Euro 2028.
O'Neill was balancing jobs with both Northern Ireland and Blackburn Rovers in recent months but has now elected to remain with the former after turning down the chance to extend his stay at Ewood Park.
Northern Ireland begin their qualification bid for Euro 2028 next March and former international Gillespie feels O'Neill is the ideal man to lead the Green and White Army into another major international tournament.
"The job he's done both times has been phenomenal," said Gillespie, who won 86 caps. "If Michael had left, you're sort of scratching your head thinking who's going to take over and continue what he has started...and that is not always an easy thing, so it's great news that he's decided to stay on.
"Bringing those young players through and the experience that they have now got should really stand them in good stead going into this next qualifying.
"We're still a relatively young side but we're a young side with players who have now played a lot of games at international level and that is really important.
"Having the likes of Dan Ballard, Trai Hume, Conor Bradley, Justin Deveney playing in the Premier League and, you never know, Shea Charles might be one next year...we need as many as possible playing at that top level."
O'Neill managed to help Rovers avoid the drop and Gillespie admits he was taken aback when the 56-year-old turned down a chance to remain in club football.
Gillespie, who played for Blackburn, added: “I probably was surprised because I think with international football, a lot of managers miss that day-to-day involvement. You're only getting together for maybe 12 days a year, so it was really that lure of day-to-day involvement, and he wanted that again, so I thought he might have swayed that way.
"It’s great for everyone involved that he stayed on because he is such an important part. He's got those young players believing and the experience he’s got in his backroom staff with the likes of Steven Davis and Jimmy Nicholl is huge.”