Our paths haven’t crossed much but my relationship with Martin is just fine, maintains Michael
MICHAEL O’Neill has stated that his relationship with managerial counterpart Martin O’Neill is ‘fine’ ahead of next week’s meeting between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium.
The friendly on Thursday pits the namesakes against each other for the first time in an official fixture eight months after the pair disagreed over the thorny subject of player eligibility.
Prior to that public airing of views regarding a highly controversial issue, seeing Michael and Martin together at awards ceremonies and functions was commonplace. Not so much lately.
Asked yesterday about how he gets on with the Republic boss, who famously captained Northern Ireland at the 1982 World Cup finals, the younger O’Neill said: “My relationship with him is fine. The relationship with Martin is the same as it is with any other international manager.
“We don’t actively speak on the phone but if we see each other at games, of course we talk. I haven’t seen him much so we aren’t watching the same players. Our paths haven’t crossed much.”
The O’Neills did come up against each other previously in Dublin though that Northern Ireland v Republic clash was a scoreless training match behind closed doors in 2015.
“It was a bit surreal and a training exercise if truth be known,” recalled the former Shamrock Rovers boss.
“We played really well in the first half but there were a lot of substitutions. It was an exercise that suited both of us.
“We’d been let down by Wales, who committed to play us but withdrew.
“We needed minutes before the Romania game (a Euro 2016 qualifier) so in terms of an exercise it suited us both.
“It’s never the same in an empty stadium so the game next week will have a much greater edge to it.
“I’m looking forward to playing at the Aviva; the last time I managed a team there we lost the FAI Cup final with Shamrock Rovers. I’m sure it’ll be a good game.”
O’Neill joked that young Hearts defender Jimmy Dunne (right), on loan from Burnley, owed him a couple of cappuccinos after being fast tracked into the Republic squad earlier this week.
Republic boss O’Neill admitted that he had partly been motivated to call up 21-year-old Dunne to see off interest from Northern Ireland, whose manager had met the player in Edinburgh.
“People have to remember Jimmy Dunne is a player at Hearts where one of my coaches (Austin MacPhee) is the assistant manager and he’s represented by Colin Murdock, who Jonny Evans’ dad works for, so there is a lot of contact,” explained Michael.
“We knew Jimmy had a grandparent from Northern Ireland, so in that sense Jimmy is no different to Conor Washington — in that he’s eligible through a grandparent.
“I had a conversation with Jimmy in Edinburgh, he lives 10 minutes away from me. “I told him that if it was something he wanted to explore then great but it’s a massive decision and I told him that I wouldn’t expect him to make the decision lightly.
“As a result of that he’s got picked for the Republic of Ireland… so he owes me two cappuccinos!
“Seriously though, I’m delighted for him. To be called up after 15 minutes of Under-21 football, he must have been very good in those 15 minutes. I’m delighted for the boy.”