Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill calls on his squad to make history
Wednesday 7 October 2015 17:34, UK
Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill has called on his players to make history by sealing their place at the finals of the European Championships for the first time.
O'Neill's men play Greece at Windsor Park on Thursday, knowing victory will ensure a first major tournament appearance since the 1986 World Cup.
A place in the Euro 2016 finals in France will also be secured if Hungary fail to beat the Faroe Islands, and the prospect of becoming history makers is now tantalisingly close.
O'Neill, whose own international playing career spanned the fallow years between 1988 and 1996, knows better than most how important that would be for the current generation.
"As an international player you write your legacy in terms of the number of times you play, the number of memorable performances you have and if you get the chance to go to a major tournament," O'Neill said.
"These players can write their legacy by going to a major tournament.
"The prize is great and it's something the players are determined to be part of. These opportunities don't come around for Northern Ireland players very often.
"I don't think motivation has ever been an issue for this team, if I'm honest. Even when results weren't going as well as we'd hoped I never had an issue in terms of the effort that the players have given me.
"The belief in the squad is fantastic."
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Northern Ireland finished fifth in qualification for the 2014 World Cup, O'Neill's first campaign at the helm, and slipped down from the fourth to the fifth seeding pot as a result.
But their recent performances have stood in stark contrast to that lowly ranking and O'Neill has been eager to remind his players of their efforts.
"All week the preparation has been around our strengths, what has made us successful in this campaign, re-emphasising that," he said.
"We are the top goalscorers in the group and we're unbeaten at home as well.
"It's a case of belief. A case of trust among each other. That belief has grown game by game."
