Davis to discuss NI coaching future after friendlies

Northern Ireland's astir capped world Steven Davis says full-time coaching is thing he is keen to research "down nan line" aft retiring this year.

The erstwhile Rangers midfielder was forced to bent up his boots successful January aft an anterior cruciate ligament wounded sustained successful December 2022.

He assisted Michael O'Neill successful mentation for Northern Ireland's March internationals, while besides moving towards coaching badges.

The 39-year-old has again travelled pinch nan squad for friendlies against Spain connected Saturday and Andorra 3 days later, but says location person been nary conversations yet pinch O'Neill astir a continuing role.

"To beryllium honest, we haven't really had immoderate conversations agelong term," said nan erstwhile Aston Villa and Southampton player.

"It was really bully for maine to spell distant successful March and beryllium astir things and get that different viewpoint, which was yet a really bully acquisition for me, particularly aligned pinch doing nan course.

"I'll beryllium going distant pinch nan group successful June for nan 2 games and aft that we'll beryllium down and person a speech and spot what he wants and really it looks."

For now, aft almost 2 decades a master player, Davis is embracing status arsenic he waits for nan correct coaching opportunity.

"I'm enjoying myself astatine nan infinitesimal since retiring, getting nan opportunity to do immoderate things I haven't ever had nan opportunity to do, walk immoderate clip pinch nan family, do a spot of travelling and doing my badges," he added.

"[Full-time coaching], it's surely thing that down nan statement I would for illustration to do.

"I person to hold and spot what opportunities originate and when's nan correct clip to return it."

Davis has enjoyed dipping his toed successful nan h2o pinch Northern Ireland and believes Saturday's crippled against Spain will beryllium a "fantastic experience" for nan squad's young players.

"It [coaching alternatively than playing] is surely a different viewpoint, but it's an acquisition that I've been enjoying.

"We've a rather young squad truthful for them to get nan opportunity to spell and play against Spain away, pinch nan value they've got, you want to beryllium testing yourself against nan champion players successful nan world and they decidedly travel into that category.

"It'll beryllium a awesome acquisition for them and 1 everyone is looking guardant to."

Davis' past crippled arsenic a Northern Ireland subordinate came successful erstwhile head Ian Baraclough's last crippled successful charge, a 3-1 conclusion by Greece successful September 2022.

While nan Englishman's successor, Michael O'Neill, did not instantly spot a awesome betterment successful results, nan broadside spell into these friendlies unbeaten successful 3 games aft finishing their Euro 2024 qualifying run by beating Denmark followed by a tie pinch Romania and triumph complete Scotland successful March friendlies.

"I deliberation nan large point for maine is advancement and you tin spot that successful nan past six to 12 months," added Davis.

"The results didn't initially spell nan measurement we would person liked

"We vanished nan run connected a precocious pinch that Denmark consequence and to travel that up pinch nan Romania and Scotland games was really important."

Davis added: "You tin spot nan assurance coming from wrong nan group, believing successful what they do and that it'll get them nan results.

"It's a young group, there's loads of power astir it, a batch of things to beryllium optimistic about. They conscionable request to support progressing and hopefully erstwhile nan competitory games travel astir again they'll beryllium successful a bully position."