O'Neill's NI can get 'better and better' - McIlroy

Former Northern Ireland head Sammy McIlroy sees similarities pinch Michael O'Neill's existent harvest and nan squad he inherited successful nan twelvemonth 2000.

O'Neill, who successful his original spell astatine nan helm guided Northern Ireland to their first awesome finals successful 30 years astatine Euro 2016, returned to nan station past twelvemonth but his broadside defeated only San Marino crossed his first 9 fixtures.

They would decorativeness an different disappointing Euro 2024 qualifying run by beating Denmark 2-0 astatine Windsor Park, however, pursuing up that triumph pinch a creditable distant tie successful Romania earlier defeating Scotland astatine Hampden Park.

With only 3 players successful O'Neill's 26-man squad for nan upcoming friendlies against Spain and Andorra complete nan property of 30, McIlroy thinks nan squad is going to make dependable progress.

"Michael is successful nan business that I was in, having to play pinch a batch of young kids," he told BBC Sport NI.

"There's a batch coming through, to beryllium fair. They look decent and I deliberation that squad is going to get amended and better."

Just arsenic O'Neill has had to woody pinch nan retirements of Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas and Craig Cathcart successful caller months, McIlroy took complete nan broadside soon aft Iain Dowie's last crippled for Northern Ireland, while nan likes of Gerry Taggart, Steve Lomas and Michael Hughes were coming to nan extremity of agelong world careers.

One of nan first young players trusted by McIlroy was David Healy, past a Manchester United reserve squad subordinate precocious sent connected indebtedness to Port Vale, who went connected to go nan Northern Ireland side's all-time apical marksman pinch 36 goals.

This week marked nan 20th day of nan erstwhile Leeds United and Rangers striker breaking his country's men's scoring grounds while his very first goals came connected debut successful McIlroy's opening crippled successful complaint against Luxembourg.

"With David's goals, cipher could person predicted that," McIlroy said. "We'd ne'er had a prolific goalscorer. Go backmost to George Best's days, aliases backmost to my day, playing pinch Gerry [Armstrong] aliases Colin Clarke, we were ne'er prolific scorers.

"So I'd thing to suffer by throwing David in. When I went successful group were coming towards nan extremity of their careers and I conscionable thought, propulsion nan kid in. He scored and nan point was that he conscionable kept scoring."

While his winning extremity successful a World Cup qualifier against England astatine Windsor Park is surely different contender, apt Healy's astir memorable nighttime successful nan greenish jersey came against Saturday's opponents Spain, his hat-trick successful a 3-2 triumph successful 2006 beating a broadside who would spell connected and predominate world shot for nan adjacent respective years.

McIlroy enjoyed immoderate reddish missive days against nan Spanish himself, from his debut successful 1972, done to his domiciled successful nan unforgettable World Cup triumph successful 1982, and a 0-0 tie astatine Windsor Park successful 2003 that was possibly his champion consequence arsenic his country's manager.

Fifty 2 years on, McIlroy's memories of his first headdress stay remarkably clear.

Being stood up by Manchester United team-mate George Best connected nan train platform, rooming pinch his soon-to-be midfield partner Martin O'Neill, and nan beingness quality of nan Spanish guidance successful a crippled that vanished 1-1, tin each beryllium recalled vividly.

If he has 1 regret astir nan occasion, which came erstwhile he was conscionable 17-years-old and 3 months connected from his United debut, it is that nan crippled was played successful nan different location of Hull City's Boothferry Park owed to nan governmental unrest astatine nan clip successful Belfast.

"Everything was going for illustration a rollercoaster. I didn't person clip to beryllium nervous. Everything was going truthful quick.," McIlroy recalled.

"Even though I was still excited, and my mum and dada sewage complete from Belfast to watch nan game, location was that small tinge of sadness that it wasn't astatine Windsor Park."

When Northern Ireland adjacent met Spain, it was 10 years later astatine a World Cup.

The 1-0 triumph secured that nighttime successful Valencia against nan tourney hosts, a triumph that sent Northern Ireland done to nan adjacent round, remains nan country's astir celebrated result.

Reflecting earlier nan 2 sides meet erstwhile again successful Palma connected Saturday night, McIlroy feels nan accomplishment only seems greater done nan passing of time.

"Spain were a small spot taken aback, they thought they could bully us, manhandle us, but that team, location was cipher who was going to fold there.

"When you're playing, erstwhile you're successful nan moment, you don't admit really large an accomplishment it was.

"From 1980/81 to '86, that squad was unbelievable. Those days will ne'er time off me, it was a privilege."