NI manager O'Neill hails 'fantastic' Evans

Northern Ireland head Michael O'Neill has described retiring skipper Jonny Evans arsenic a "top people subordinate and apical people individual" but understands nan 36-year-old felt he needed to attraction connected his Manchester United career.

The defender won 107 caps for his country, including playing each 4 of nan side's games astatine Euro 2016, but announced connected Thursday that he would discontinue from world football.

"He’s a apical player, apical individual to person successful immoderate squad, immoderate team," said O'Neill.

"The truth that Manchester United still worth him arsenic they do is simply a testament to that arsenic well."

Evans, who signed a one-year hold astatine Old Trafford during nan summer, had antecedently hinted he would person retired from each shot had a caller woody not materialised astatine his boyhood club.

"It’s disappointing but it’s not thing we haven’t discussed," said O'Neill.

"We’ve discussed it complete nan past six months each clip we’ve caught up. He ne'er really wanted to make that determination but I deliberation he realised to springiness himself a chance of making a existent effect astatine Manchester United, it meant that nan world breaks would astir apt thief physically.

"He has a batch of commitments, 3 young kids arsenic well. International football, erstwhile you’ve been doing it for 18 years, it’s a large commitment. But successful position of what he’s brought, what he’s fixed america complete nan years, he has been fantastic, a apical people subordinate and apical people individual arsenic well."

O'Neill admitted that he did effort to alteration his skipper's mind but that yet nan determination rested pinch nan player.

"I ever effort to support nan players playing arsenic agelong arsenic possible," he said.

"You look astatine Aaron (Hughes) and Gareth McAuley, guys who played precocious into their 30s, you ever effort and make those players consciousness valued. That’s nary different to Jonny.

"You besides person to play without these players."

Evans' younger relative Corry is absent astatine coming from nan Northern Ireland sheet arsenic he continues to hunt for a caller club, while Stuart Dallas, Craig Cathcart and erstwhile skipper Steven Davis person each retired successful nan past year.

"You’re talking astir 500 caps there," O'Neill added.

"We person to develop, proceed to create arsenic a squad and nan players who person been astir for a while person to measurement up, and nan younger ones person to realise that going guardant they’re going to beryllium nan backbone of this team."

Northern Ireland commencement their Uefa Nations League run against Luxembourg successful Belfast connected Thursday 5 September, pinch Bulgaria and Belarus besides successful nan pool.

O'Neill, who had Daniel Ballard arsenic his skipper against Andorra past clip out, added it was "not a matter of urgency" to sanction a imperishable skipper.

"We person six games successful nan Nations League and each of it is mentation for nan World Cup (qualifying) starting successful March 2025 erstwhile we cognize what nan group will be," he said.

"Having a skipper is not basal astatine this infinitesimal successful time. There’s capable successful that young group to springiness players opportunity to do it. Until we consciousness it’s nan correct time, it’s not a matter of urgency."