Michael O'Neill: Former manager to return as Northern Ireland boss

Michael O'Neill was antecedently NI manager from the extremity of 2011 to April 2020

Michael O'Neill has agreed to instrumentality for a 2nd spell arsenic Northern Ireland manager aft successfully concluding talks with the Irish FA.

O'Neill became Stoke City manager successful November 2019 but stayed connected arsenic NI brag excessively until resigning successful April 2020.

His assignment could beryllium confirmed by the Irish FA arsenic aboriginal arsenic Wednesday.

O'Neill was sacked from his occupation astatine Championship broadside Stoke successful August 2022.

The Potters had won 1 of their archetypal 5 league games erstwhile helium was relieved of his duties aft astir 3 years astatine the helm.

Having been appointed NI brag astatine the extremity of 2011, O'Neill's archetypal tenure saw him pb the squad to the Euro 2016 finals successful France, the archetypal clip successful 30 years that the state had qualified for a large tournament.

At the finals themselves, helium guided his broadside to the 2nd round, beating Ukraine successful the process, but yet losing narrowly to Wales astatine the last-16 stage.

Northern Ireland subsequently conscionable missed retired connected a spot astatine the World Cup finals successful Russia erstwhile they controversially mislaid 1-0 to Switzerland successful a play-off successful November 2017.

Two months later, O'Neill turned down an connection to go manager of Scotland pursuing discussions with the Scottish FA, alternatively agreeing a caller declaration to stay astatine the helm of his autochthonal country.

Following his assignment by Stoke, helium initially remained arsenic NI manager and intended to enactment connected for the Euro 2020 play-offs, which had been scheduled for March 2020 lone to beryllium postponed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the play-offs delayed astatine slightest until the autumn of 2020, O'Neill resigned arsenic planetary squad brag connected 22 April, with Baraclough appointed arsenic his successor 2 months later.

The Irish FA volition anticipation that O'Neill's assignment tin revive the fortunes of the nationalist squad aft a bid of comparatively disappointing results nether Baraclough which yielded conscionable 4 wins from 22 competitory matches.

Northern Ireland volition look Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan and San Marino successful the forthcoming Euro qualifiers which statesman successful March adjacent year.

Analysis

BBC Sport NI's Mark Sterling

Something of a astonishment prime up of different much experienced managers erstwhile appointed for his archetypal spell, Michael O'Neill has been the resounding favourite among Northern Ireland supporters to instrumentality arsenic brag astir from the 2nd Ian Baraclough was sacked.

They've got their aboriginal Christmas contiguous and intelligibly don't subscribe to the mentation that, successful football, you should ne'er spell back.

As helium did erstwhile taking implicit from Nigel Worthington, the 53-year-old inherits a squad that has travel done a pugnacious spell nether a manager who ne'er won the hearts of the Windsor Park faithful.

What's antithetic this time, though, is that it doesn't consciousness similar the semipermanent task that it was 11 years agone erstwhile O'Neill was afforded clip to retrieve and physique aft mediocre results amid a shaky start.

An instant instrumentality is astir surely what the Irish FA volition beryllium looking for. A large origin successful the relation mounting its stall retired to re-hire O'Neill volition person been the unexpected, yet hugely welcome, accidental presented to Northern Ireland by a Euro 2024 qualification gully that offers genuine anticipation of reaching the finals for a 2nd clip successful the country's history.

O'Neill proved his credentials successful starring the squad connected that joyous travel to France successful the summertime of 2016 and the IFA intelligibly consciousness helium is best-placed to repetition that feat. It's a situation helium volition nary uncertainty get to enactment connected immediately, with methodical mentation and attraction to item being the hallmarks of his palmy archetypal reign.

And what of the players? There is inactive a halfway remaining successful the squad who were regulars for O'Neill archetypal clip around, and it is apt helium volition person had conversations with immoderate of them earlier agreeing his contract.

All eyes volition present crook to March and the commencement of those Euro qualifiers. He couldn't bash it again, could he?