Nigel makes North vow

NEW Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington admits his long-term priority remains a return to club management — but he has vowed first to lead his home nation to their greatest achievement.

Worthington believes holding onto first place in their Euro 2008 qualifying group would eclipse the success of the teams which reached two consecutive World Cup finals in the 1980s.

The former Norwich boss has accepted a short-term contract up to the end of the current qualifying campaign, following the resignation of Lawrie Sanchez, who left to take full-time charge of Fulham last month.

But Worthington, who was officially announced as manager in Belfast yesterday, has refused to rule out the possibility of a job-share deal.

Worthington said: “I would love to do club management and the IFA know that. But I am fully committed to the Northern Ireland national team for the next six games no matter what happens.

Worthington won 66 caps for his country and played a part in both their World Cup campaigns but he insisted qualification with his current squad would beat those achievements.

Worthington added: “I don’t mean this disrespectfully but in those days we had top division players and at the moment we have got a handful of Premiership players and a lot of Championship players.

“But they have got big hearts and with that never-say-die attitude anything is possible. There seems to be a desire back in the green shirt and to me that was a key reason for taking the job.”