O'Neill stays but Rovers stint will have 'turned heads'

"I'm delighted he's staying. I think the progress of the young group over the past two or three years has been a joy to watch."

"There's no doubt there is lots of potential still in them, lots of growth still in them. And at this early stage of their development in international football, a change of manager may just have upset them a little bit with regards to their rhythm and their fluency and any cohesion they have built up over the last couple of years."

"Ultimately, short term he has committed himself to this young group of players and I think it will set them up for a couple of good internationals in the summer and for the Nations League starting in September and October."

"They know there's more to come from them. Michael knows there's more to com"

Michael O'Neill has chosen to stay as Northern Ireland manager instead of agreeing a longer contract with Blackburn Rovers. Blackburn had wanted to retain him after he helped keep the club safe from relegation during an interim spell. O'Neill decided his next steps should be in international management, with Euro 2028 finals scheduled across Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. He previously led Northern Ireland to the Euro 2016 finals and will now work with a promising young group that has brought renewed energy to the team. Stephen Craigan welcomed the decision, saying the players have shown progress and still have room to grow, and that keeping the manager supports cohesion and rhythm ahead of upcoming internationals and the Nations League.

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