Players, not songs, the priority for O’Neill

NEW Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill played his political cards right during his official introduction to the media as Nigel Worthington’s successor yesterday.

O’Neill, the first Catholic manager of the Northern Ireland international team since Peter Doherty led the country to the 1958 World Cup quarter-finals, toed the party line when fielding the obvious questions relating to the ongoing Irish player eligibility row and God Save The Queen being played at Windsor Park.

The former Shamrock Rovers manager, 42, who led the Dubliners to back-to-back Airtricity League titles wasn’t for getting dragged into emotive debates.