O’Neill out to restore pride in North

MICHAEL O’NEILL intends to “restore a sense of belief and pride” in the Northern Ireland national side after being appointed on a two-year contract by the Irish Football Association.

The former Shamrock Rovers manager has been chosen ahead of Jim Magilton and Iain Dowie to replace the departed Nigel Worthington and will begin work on February 1.

He inherits a side who failed to live up to modest expectations in their last campaign — which saw them finish fifth in their Euro 2012 qualifying group, ahead of only the Faroe Islands — and must also confront pressing issues of player availability and eligibility which caused problems for Worthington.