'Victim mentality' not an option for Josh Magennis as striker targets a return to the Northern Ireland fold

The striker - who has earned 82 caps and scored 12 goals along the way - was last involved back in November last year when the Green and White Army faced Belarus and Luxembourg in the Nations League.

However, a few eyebrows were raised when Magennis was left out of Michael O’Neill’s squad for the friendlies against Switzerland and Sweden in March.

The popular Exeter City ace will also not be involved for the upcoming friendlies against Iceland and Denmark due to hip surgery.

When asked if he was disappointed to miss out back in March when fully fit, Magennis replied: "Listen, Michael's always been open and honest with me, and I've definitely been that way with him. When we had the conversation, we were both able to say our part.

"I think from a footballer's point of view, you're going for your own ego, your own selfishness. That was purely just off the basis where I thought I was still competing and still playing well in terms of the other players that were picked and available in my position. But it doesn't really matter.

"But I think at the end of the day, because Michael's the manager and his rationale and his thought process, as much as I didn't agree with it, it took me a couple of days to come round, I could understand it because eventually I'm going to hopefully, God willing, be a manager, be a coach.

"It's a coach's job to always improve and always to make the team better. If Michael thought that by seeing other players playing friendlies before we went into the World Cup, because the World Cup is what really matters, then he has every right to do so.

"So I sort of had to reframe my thought process in terms of getting away from the victim mentality. I never wanted that to happen. Football is an ever-evolving game."

Magennis' love for his country can never be doubted and the experienced frontman believes he can still offer Northern Ireland a different dimension at the top end of the pitch.

However, he realises he will need to produce the numbers required to dislodge the likes of Ronan Hale, Dion Charles, Lee Bonis and Dale Taylor.

"My thought process quickly went from feeling that I should be in the squad to why am I not in the squad to, well, you've just got to get back to work,” he added. The only way to continue to be in Northern Ireland's squad is to put in performances that no one can refute.

"So your numbers, when you're playing, the number of goals you score, that's going to start basically from when I'm able to play again in pre-season.

"I've just got to keep catching his eye and keep performing until hopefully September, October, November for the World Cup qualifiers."

When asked if walking away from international duty was an option, Magennis responded: "Listen, that definitely crossed my mind.

"That was possibly the biggest thing that I wanted to speak to Michael about the most. I was like, listen, if we're going to get to the stage where you don't feel I can perform or I can contribute to your team, not a problem.

"But I didn't want to get to the stage where we were sugar-coating it. I said, if you want me to retire or you think that I should retire, just let me know so I can do it the right way. I don't want to just fizzle out.

"That was probably the only time I took recognition in terms of what I've managed to achieve playing for my country.

"I thought that if I was going to retire, I deserved to go out on my terms like all the other greats such as Gareth McAuley, Steven Davis, Jonny Evans.

"But Michael made it very clear that retirement, in terms of me, wasn't the case. I think I'm the only striker he has of my profile."

Magennis was speaking to the media as he currently completes a UEFA A Diploma, hosted by the Irish Football Association.

Whilst harbouring ambitions of one day being a manager, the likeable 34-year-old wants to continue playing for as long as possible.

He joked: “Listen, you’ll see my name and you’ll be thinking ‘how is he still getting signed’?

"Like for me the glitz and glamour of football is great but it’s all I’ve ever known, so if I’m able to play and earn a living out of football, I don’t know what else I could do.

"I might as well use all I’ve got now for as long as I’ve got and then go into coaching. Sitting around doing nothing for me is not an option...it is impossible for me to be alone with my own thoughts.

“I’m aiming to be like Davo (Steven Davis), Gareth McAuley, Roy Carroll and Aaron Hughes...those are the boys I look up to because they were able to play at such a high level for such a long period of time.”