SMITH: O’NEILL ‘SILLY’ TO TAKE UP SCOTS JOB
MICHAEL SMITH reckons countryman Michael O’Neill would be “silly” to swap the Northern Ireland hotseat for Scotland’s.
The former Brechin boss remains favourite to succeed Gordon Strachan after the Irish FA last month granted him permission to speak to their SFA counterparts.
But Hearts defender Smith believes he’d be better off sticking with his club colleagues Aaron Hughes, Kyle Lafferty and assistant boss Austin MacPhee on the international stage.
The 29-year-old, whose only international cap came under O’Neill, said: “Nobody knows. I’ve had a few words.
“Even Austin doesn’t know. It’s nothing we can worry about – it’s up to him, it’s his decision.
“If he wants to change then he can go for it but he’d be silly to. He has done such a great job at Northern Ireland so why move?”
The Irish missed out on a place at Russia 2018 after being edged out by the Swiss in last month’s play-offs.
But Smith believes O’Neill – who had also been linked with West Brom before Alan Pardew’s appointment – can build on that plus a Euro 2016 campaign that took them to the last 16.
He said: “They can definitely get to the next Euros. They have done brilliantly under Michael over the last few years.
“Scotland are starting to come good. They just missed out there, which was unlucky and Christophe (Berra) was really down about it.
“But both countries will come strong again come the next Euro campaign.
“Michael has done brilliantly well getting to the Euros and just missing out on the World Cup as well.
“There has been a lot of speculation over his future. He has been talked about for Premier League jobs, which is probably the best league in the world, so that shows you how well he has done.
“He sets the team up very well. He and Austin do their homework on the opposition. As you can see they have stolen games right at the death when they have been hanging on. He’s a great tactician and a great man-manager as well.”