Top clubs may be tempted to entice O’Neill
NORTHERN IRELAND will fly back to Belfast for a homecoming party today with the future of manager Michael O’Neill and some of his key players at Euro 2016 still up in the air. Up to 15,000 fans will turn up to applaud their team for reaching the last 16 at the country’s first appearance in the European Championship finals, which ended with Saturday’s heartbreaking defeat to Wales in Paris. O’Neill will now be a man in demand, with clubs aware that he has a £750,000 release clause in his new contract with the IFA. Roy Carroll and Aaron Hughes are expected to retire from international football, with Chris Baird and Gareth McAuley, whose late own goal proved decisive at the Parc des Princes, far from certain to carry on into the World Cup qualifying campaign. Jamie Ward is also understood to be considering whether to quit for the good of his club career at Nottingham Forest. It raises questions over Northern Ireland’s ability to maintain the momentum they have built up over the last two years and captain Steven Davis admitted there are no guarantees that O’Neill will still be in charge. ‘There are going to be people who are looking at him,’ said Davis. ‘He has done a hell of job with us. Obviously we would like to keep him but I’m sure at some point he will go on to manage a big club side.’ Asked if O’Neill could fill the vacancy at Davis’s club Southampton, he replied: ‘Stranger things have happened. I’m sure there are a lot of clubs who are thinking he is a suitable candidate. I think everyone has got ambition and wants to do well. ‘It’s just somebody having the belief in Michael to give him the opportunity and I’m sure he wouldn’t let anyone down.’ Meanwhile, Kyle Lafferty claimed that Wales were fortunate to win after O’Neill’s side created the better chances. ‘They got lucky,’ said the Norwich striker. ‘They will know that they were second to every ball. ‘The better team is going home.’