United and Alex Ferguson after booking their place at
the European Championships.
Oliver Norwood and Michael O'Neill have credited Manchester
United and Alex Ferguson for helping to shape key figures in
Northern Ireland's qualification for Euro 2016.
Although Paddy McNair is the only player in O'Neill's squad to
have remained at Old Trafford after coming through the ranks,
Jonny Evans, Corry Evans, Craig Cathcart and Luke
McCullough were also developed at the club.
And Norwood, now at Reading, has suggested that their
education was crucial to helping Northern Ireland book a place
in France.
"It might sound silly, but the United lads were brought up
properly," Norwood said.
"We worked under the regime of the best manager in football, Sir
Alex Ferguson. What he passed through that club – to the youth
team and every academy boy – that's something we can look
back on with pride.
"We were all together there and now we're all together here at
Northern Ireland. We were brought up in a proper football club,
training every day with world-class players, but seeing they're
just normal people."
His theory was supported by coach O'Neill, who a
cknowledged
the influence the Premier League side have had on the country's
fortunes.
"There's a number of our players who have that same good
grounding," O'Neill said.
"They may have come away from Manchester United, but
they've fought back from that disappointment and developed
careers for themselves.
"Some of them, like Cathcart, are back in the Premier League
and some are in the Championship, but now they're here
performing on the international stage and they're going to get
the chance to go to a major finals."
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