PADDY IS BLOOMING

MICHAEL O’NEILL believes two-goal hero Paddy Mcnair is fast becoming a key player for Northern Ireland.

Take last night’s stirring man-of-the-match display in Prague as a case in point.

Two goals and a barnstorming performance that helped deliver the perfect pick-me-up after the agony of Rotterdam.

“Paddy had an excellent game,” said O’neill. “Two goals and strong running from midfield.

“It was a great finish for the first one and the second one showed his power, pace and composure.”

Mcnair, who burst on the scene as a Manchester United player under Louis van Gaal, has won 32 caps since making his debut in a friendly defeat to Scotland in 2015.

But O’neill believes the 24-year-old, benefiting from regular football with Middlesbrough in the Championship after struggling for minutes last season, is taking his game to a new level.

“He’s still a relatively young player,” he said. “He is possibly now where he should have been two years ago if it wasn’t for injury.

“He had a serious knee injury at Sunderland and it took him longer to get back than he would have liked. He also had a difficult season last season at Middlesbrough.

“He wasn’t an automatic player but this season his club situation has changed and we’re seeing the benefit of that. I’m delighted because he’s a great boy, a great athletic player and a top player.”

Mcnair conceded it was important to lay down a marker four days after Thursday’s agonising Euro 2020 defeat to the Dutch.

“We put so much into that game and it was devastating,” he said. “It shows great character to come here and get a win.”