Jonny Evans has attributes needed for management, says Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill

Evans, 36, announced his retirement from international football on Wednesday, choosing to focus his energies on his club career after signing a one-year extension to remain with boyhood club Manchester United.

O’Neill – who has former captain Steven Davis as part of his backroom staff – said he had not yet had any discussions with Evans about ways he might stay involved with Northern Ireland in the future, but backed the defender to shine in management if he wanted to go down that road.

“I think if Jonny opts to go into that side of the game, he has all the attributes you would look for I think to excel,” O’Neill said. “I do see a manager in Jonny if he wants to be a manager. He may not decide that.

“Sometimes you’ll see players saying, ‘I can’t wait, I’m desperate to be a manager’. He’s not displaying that at this minute in time, his focus is still on playing.

“But from an intellectual viewpoint, having a strong character, good communicator and obviously seeing the game as he does, he has the attributes I feel to be a manager.”

O’Neill believes Evans’ decision to step back from Northern Ireland can help to extend his club career. Evans had indicated he could retire entirely had there not been an offer to continue with United, but he signed a one-year extension in July.

“He’s still able to play in the Premier League,” O’Neill added. “He’s demonstrated that throughout the last year and he’s still able to play at a massive club.

“You still see his influence on that Manchester United team, whether he starts games or comes off the bench and gives them that experience.

“I think that’s where his focus will be. Down the line, who knows what will come but I think Jonny has a lot to offer football and I think football has given him a lot and he’ll want to give something back.”

The retirement of Evans leaves O’Neill without a captain as he plans for Northern Ireland’s opening Nations League fixtures at home to Luxembourg and away to Bulgaria.

Paddy McNair, who captained the side in last November’s win over Denmark and again for the March friendlies before missing June’s fixtures, is back in the squad this week, but O’Neill does not plan to make an permanent appointment immediately.

Instead, O’Neill said he would “play it by ear” over the next few months and allow a captain to emerge in time for next year’s World Cup qualifying campaign.

“I think we’ll use the Nations League just to see and to assess that situation,” O’Neill said. “We’re not in a hurry to do anything and that’s something we’ll maybe discuss with the leadership group within the squad and the staff.

“There’s no urgency to appoint somebody as a permanent captain going forward. We’ve had different captains over the previous campaign because obviously Jonny was injured at times so we needed different people at different times.

“The most important thing is the continued improvement of the team. Probably – come March – we’ll be in a position to name a more permanent captain going forward.”