Ace Aaron glad boss is staying
AARON HUGHES admits he feared Michael O’neill was going to jump ship for Scotland but is thrilled he remained on board with Northern Ireland.
The Hearts defender held his breath as the in-demand boss weighed up his future before opting to snub the SFA.
Hughes, 38, said: “When there are offers on the table and talks, you always think there’s a chance it could happen.
“You are not part of those conversations and don’t know what they are thinking so, yeah, I thought there was a chance he would take it.
“Thankfully it’s worked out great for us. Ask any of the lads and they’d say the same thing.”
Hughes credits O’neill for dragging Northern Ireland into the modern game as his changes behind the scenes helped fire the country to Euro 2016 and the play-offs for the World Cup.
He said: “You just look at the effect he’s had. It’s not just what you see either, it’s all the little things behind the scenes.
“He’s made the entire environment better and to still have him is a huge thing for us.”
Hughes may be delighted O’neill will remain in charge but he admits he does not know if he will still be around for the Nations League kick-off in September.
He said: “I still haven’t decided. With the stop-start season I’ve had with my calves I just wanted to concentrate on Hearts and getting a bit of momentum here.
“I’ll see how my body and mind feels at the end of the season.”