MY MATE IAN GOT ME BACK IN GOOD NIC
BY FRASER WILSON
JIMMY NICHOLL has revealed a phone call from new Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough helped ease the pain of his shock exit from Dundee.
Baraclough was named as Michael O’Neill’s successor on Friday and called Nicholl the following day asking him to remain part of his backroom team.
The 63-year-old was one of the first victims of cost cutting at Dens Park on Friday, losing his job as assistant manager hours before it emerged players had been asked to take wage cuts.
Nicholl admits he was shocked to receive a phone call from Dens boss James McPake to say he had to let him go.
That hurt eased when his old pal Baraclough called just a day later, even if at first he was expecting more bad news.
Nicholl said: “It was a wee bit of a surprise when James phoned me on Friday morning.
“If you half expect things then you’re prepared for it but talking to James over the weeks he said, ‘The club’s all right and is fully insured and we’re going to be signing players and it’s looking great for next year.’
“But as one door closes another opens. Ian Baraclough is announced as Northern Ireland manager and my phone goes on Saturday night at half past eight.
“I saw his name come up and I thought ‘Oh no, here we go – a double whammy.’ But he said he would like to keep me on in his staff. One minute you are down then you get a great lift. I’m delighted with that.”
Former Rangers star Nicholl won 73 caps for his country and is now looking forward to Nations league clashes against Romania and Norway before an allimportant Euro play-off against Bosnia in October.
He insists he hasn’t been put off taking another club job by recent events.
He said: “I’ve always said it doesn’t frustrate me being No.2 and it doesn’t frighten me being No.1.
“We have two games in September against Romania and Norway.
“If anything happens in between then great but I love the Northern Ireland set-up and we have some exciting games coming up.
“If we beat Bosnia we could potentially face the Republic in Belfast so that’s keeping me going.”