Reports linking Northern Ireland head coach Michael O’Neill with the vacant managerial position at Aberdeen have left Josh Magennis a little torn.
On the one hand, the striker still has affection for his former club, having spent around three and a half years at Pittodrie in the early days of his career, and he is saddened by their current position in the bottom half of the Scottish Premiership.
On the other, the 33-year-old is still very much involved at international level with his country, coming on as a second half substitute during Northern Ireland’s 1-0 win over Scotland at Hampden on Tuesday night.
Ultimately, that is where the Wigan forward’s priorities lie, so while Magennis isn’t surprised to see O’Neill being touted for the Aberdeen job, he is desperately hoping he decides not to break his heart for a second time, having previously left the national side to take over at Stoke City.
“I have seen him linked with Aberdeen,” Magennis said.
READ MORE: Ryan Christie in perspective plea after Hampden horror show
“When you are doing well and are successful there is no doubt that a light shines on you.
“Listen, I don’t want to lose him for a second time. It broke my heart the first time.
“Michael is not daft, and he knows his way around. It is not just the lure of Aberdeen. Aberdeen is one of the biggest clubs in Scotland with a great history, [but] he will take everything into account and will look at everything from head to toe if that becomes an option. Only he will know if it is the right move.
“I don’t want him to go personally. I like him, and I hope he likes me because he picks me.
“It is not good to see Aberdeen in the position they are. Hopefully, they pick a manager that gets them back where they should be, at the top of Scottish football…as long as it is not Michael O’Neill!”
Magennis did have some words of comfort though for Scotland fans after helping Northern Ireland get over the line at Hampden, pulling off a shock win that was a real fillip for their developing side, and a body blow for the Scots ahead of the Euros.
The striker wasn’t fooled by that scoreline, or Scotland’s current seven-match run without a win, saying they have the more than enough about them to give a great account of themselves in Germany.
“I think they will get on very, very well,” he said.
“There is no denying they have vast amounts of quality.
READ MORE: No excuses for Scotland on a worrying night at Hampden
“It is a two-edged sword. When you win and qualify the expectation is there. We have experienced it with Northern Ireland. You are expected to win and when that doesn’t happen then sometimes the landscape can change.
“There is no doubting that Scotland are a massively talented team. I think they will go to the tournament and do extremely well. “Scotland are a hard team to break down and they are very compact. They have a wealth of experience of players who have played in big tournaments and won big trophies.
“I don’t think it will be anything but a solid tournament from Scotland. I don’t think they have ever qualified out of a group. There is no reason why Scotland can’t do that.
“Tournament football is like knockout football, where anything can happen. The games are tough, there is a quick turnaround and I think they will go to Germany and give a good account of themselves and Scottish football.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here