Evans 'can't wait to get amongst' NI's young squad

After conscionable 1 world headdress successful 2 years, Northern Ireland's Corry Evans jokes location are immoderate team-mates he has yet to meet.

The 33-year-old precocious returned from 15 months connected nan sidelines aft tearing his anterior cruciate ligament past January and has been named successful Michael O'Neill's squad for friendlies against Spain connected Saturday and Andorra 3 days later.

During nan erstwhile Blackburn Rovers and Hull City man's absence, he has mostly missed nan world emergence of players for illustration Conor Bradley, Shea Charles, Isaac Price and Trai Hume.

"I person really enjoyed watching them from afar," said Evans, presently without a nine aft his merchandise by Sunderland.

"I can't hold to get amongst them now. It is going to flip now wherever I americium 1 of nan oldest successful nan squad, but I was erstwhile their property and erstwhile learning disconnected nan older players.

"I now person to walk connected my acquisition and knowledge to nan younger lads, from my nine and world career, and hopefully it helps them."

Having erstwhile been shown nan ropes by players for illustration David Healy, Stephen Craigan and Gareth McAuley, Evans is looking guardant to nan domiciled reversal.

Still awkward of his 19th day erstwhile he made his world debut against Italy nether Nigel Worthington successful 2009, now he, his older relative Jonny, and striker Josh Magennis are nan only 3 players successful O'Neill's 26-man sheet complete nan property of 30.

"The likes of David Healy, Stephen Craigan, and nan different knowledgeable ones, I had them to look up to," said Evans.

"When we qualified for nan Euros successful 2016, we had a young nucleus of a squad past and we grew together. But we were guided by elder players for illustration Gareth McAuley and Chris Brunt.

"We had a bully operation of younker and experience. Hopefully I tin thief nan younger lads now, on pinch nan acquisition of Jonny (Evans), Josh (Magennis) and others."

A cardinal subordinate during O'Neill's first spell successful charge, this will beryllium Evans' first world outing since nan erstwhile Stoke boss's return.

With Northern Ireland having struggled for results successful nan early going of this 2nd stint nether their erstwhile midfielder, winning only against San Marino crossed O'Neill's first 9 games, nan broadside are now unbeaten successful three, each against opponents who qualified for this summer's Euros.

After wins against Denmark and Scotland, pinch a tie against Romania sandwiched successful between, Evans tin spot similarities pinch really O'Neill's first clip successful nan post.

"When Michael first took complete successful his first spell, location was a play erstwhile we didn't triumph for a batch of games. It was a caller team, he was trying to get a squad together that could turn and compete.

"Look what we did, we qualified for a awesome finals successful nan Euros and we sewage to a World Cup play-off 2 years later.

"I deliberation it's astir apt a akin benignant of acquisition now that he's going through. He's sewage a caller benignant of squad together and they person to turn and study together.

"The past mates of games person shown glimpses of that and what could perchance beryllium successful nan squad."

With an extended training campy successful Murcia starring into nan games against Spain and Andorra, Evans believes fostering a enslaved wrong nan squad is simply a captious portion of immoderate successful world side.

"When you've qualified for finals, that doesn't conscionable happen," he added.

"You person to person a bully squad and a bully squad spirit.

"That's been monolithic for us. Every clip you went distant connected trips, it was bully fun, everyone wanted to beryllium astir each other. That's key.

"Sometimes you perceive astir different nations going distant connected these camps and they dislike each infinitesimal of it, cipher interacts. We've ever had a bully measurement of involving everyone. It's decidedly helped america successful our occurrence successful nan past."