Former boss Ian Baraclough sees bright future for Northern Ireland

Former Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough believes the nation is on course to qualify for a major tournament again in the near future as he broke his silence following his dismissal last month.

Baraclough, 51, was sacked on 21 October having won only six of his 28 games in charge inside 90 minutes, also beating Bosnia & Herzegovina on penalties, with the IFA deciding to make a change before the start of Euro 2024 qualifying next year as fan discontent grew.

In a statement released via the League Managers Association, Baraclough said the opportunity to step up from his previous role with Northern Ireland's Under-21s and replace Michael O'Neill in charge of the senior squad was "one of the greatest moments of my professional career to date".

"My time at the helm was not without challenges; the Covid-19 pandemic, injuries to key players, and a squad in transition were all factors we had to accept and work with," he said.

"I do think now that the squad are ready to take the next step on this journey and qualify for another major tournament."

Baraclough took charge of Northern Ireland's U21s in May 2017 before replacing O'Neill in June 2020, with a brief to help several of those younger players follow him in making the step up.

Results were disappointing as Northern Ireland missed out on qualification for both Euro 2020 and this month's World Cup, narrowly avoiding a second consecutive relegation in the Nations League, but Baraclough helped the likes of Dan Ballard, Ali McCann and Conor Bradley become established.

"A special mention should go to the group of players I have worked with over the past five and a half years," he said.

"The experience of working with the young talent of Northern Ireland, through to the elite senior