'really Good Candidates' For Ni Captaincy - Davis

Former Northern Ireland skipper Steven Davis says location are "some really bully candidates" wrong nan existent squad to return connected nan captaincy domiciled connected a imperishable basis.

Since Jonny Evans retired from world shot successful August 2024, NI leader Michael O'Neill has opted to rotate nan captaincy.

The likes of Conor Bradley, Paddy McNair, Shea Charles and Trai Hume person each worn nan armband and Davis, who captained NI 82 times, believes whoever is appointed will beryllium deserving of nan opportunity.

"There are immoderate really bully candidates, Michael has dispersed nan captaincy complete nan people of nan games and he'll make that last decision, but we person immoderate really bully characters," Davis said.

"There are immoderate who are playing astatine a really bully level and progressing their careers and there's a really bully halfway of young players location for nan adjacent 10 years truthful I'm excited to spot wherever they tin go."

Davis was speaking aft being inducted into nan Dr Malcolm Brodie Hall of Fame astatine nan Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association awards.

He retired successful January 2024 aft being sidelined for complete a twelvemonth pinch a knee wounded and holds nan UK men's world caps grounds pinch 140 appearances for Northern Ireland.

The erstwhile midfielder antecedently took complaint of Rangers arsenic interim head erstwhile Michael Beale was sacked successful October 2023.

Since retiring he has been assisting O'Neill successful mentation for Northern Ireland's games arsenic he useful towards his coaching badges, a domiciled he has been relishing.

"I sewage nan opportunity retired of nan bluish astatine Rangers for a mates of games arsenic interim head which was an unbelievable acquisition but now, I'm pinch Michael and his staff, I'm learning a batch erstwhile I'm distant connected camps," he explained.

"It's really bully and I'm doing my coaching badges truthful looking guardant to spot what nan early holds.

"I've sewage a bully equilibrium now pinch nan world worldly but clip pinch my family excessively which you miss retired connected a batch erstwhile you're playing football, to person elasticity is really good."

Former Northern Ireland winger Stuart Dallas, who won 62 caps for his country, was inducted into nan Hall of Fame connected Sunday alongside Davis.

He believes that O'Neill is "building thing special" pinch nan existent harvest of players up of nan World Cup qualifying run starting successful September, wherever NI will look Germany, Slovakia and Luxembourg.

"This is simply a wholly caller team, Michael has travel backmost successful for a 2nd spell and he's mislaid a batch of experience," he said.

"What they're doing now, they're an breathtaking squad you travel to Windsor Park, and you bask watching Northern Ireland, I deliberation nan much games they play nan much acquisition they'll get."

While Dallas, who was forced to discontinue successful April 2024 because of a superior knee injury, is excited astir nan young squad, he thinks expectations should beryllium tempered arsenic galore players navigate their first World Cup qualifying experience.

"I deliberation nan squad is successful bully hands, it is simply a young breathtaking squad who person nan imaginable to fulfil thing really special, but you can't put excessively overmuch unit connected them."