Armstrong interested in part-time Northern Ireland role

Former Northern Ireland forward Gerry Armstrong would be prepared to manage his country if the Irish Football Association opt to make a part-time appointment.

Nigel Worthington will step down as national team boss after the final Euro 2012 qualifier against Italy tonight, with attention already turning to who will succeed him.

Former QPR, Crystal Palace and Hull boss Iain Dowie has expressed an interest while the Shamrock Rovers management duo of Michael O’Neill and Jim Magilton have been strongly linked with the post after helping the League of Ireland club qualify for the group stages of the Europa League.

Armstrong, still most famous for scoring Northern Ireland’s winner against hosts Spain at the 1982 World Cup and now a pundit for Sky Sports, told Sky Sports News: “I have got the capabilities to do the job but I don’t know if I want to do it on a full-time basis.

“I think it’s a part-time job, the manager will probably be in place 45 to 50 days a year, and if they wanted a full-time manager I probably wouldn’t be interested in it.

“If it was a part-time job then I probably would be interested.”

Armstrong worked as an assistant to former Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez from 2004 until quitting the position in August 2006 for personal and business reasons.