The Irish Football Association last night insisted the Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy would not be taking the vacant Stoke City job.McIlroy has been strongly linked with the vacancy following Steve Cotterill's defection to Sunderland on Thursday. But the IFA president Jim Boyce rejected the speculation here yesterday.
"I just want to make this extremely clear, Sammy McIlroy is manager of Northern Ireland and shall remain so," Boyce said. "Even if Barcelona, Real Madrid or Manchester United wanted to make him their new manager, he would remain."
McIlroy certainly has enough on his plate in trying to stem the power of Spain in Albacete tonight in Northern Ireland's first Euro 2004 qualifier. McIlroy played in his country's finest performance in beating the hosts at the 1982 World Cup, but hopes of a repeat must be slight. Spain are now ranked second in the world, compared to Northern Ireland's 98.
Spain visited Belfast for a pre-World Cup friendly and won 5-0. But Northern Ireland were under-strength for that encounter and this time McIlroy is able to pick from a stronger squad, with established players such as the West Ham's Steve Lomas and Leicester's Gerry Taggart returning to the ranks.
"Of course, Spain are one of the best sides in the world but we won't fear them, we know we have a job to do and I'm confident of doing that," said the Newcastle defender Aaron Hughes.
SPAIN (probable 4-4-2) Casillas; Pujol, Calvo, Helguera, Raul Bravo; Joaquin, Xavi, Baraja, Vicente; Raul, Morientes.
NORTHERN IRELAND (probable 4-5-1) Taylor (Fulham); A Hughes (Newcastle), McCartney (Sunderland), Taggart (Leicester), Murdock (Preston); Gillespie (Blackburn), Lomas (West Ham), Horlock (Man City), Mulryne (Norwich); Johnson (Birmingham City), Healy (Preston).
Guardian Service
