Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill arrested on suspicion of drink-driving

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Michael O'Neill
Michael O'Neill

Northern Ireland’s football team manager, Michael O’Neill, has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

He was detained by police on the outskirts of Edinburgh on Sunday.
Police Scotland said they arrested and charged a 48-year-old man in connection with drink-driving eastbound on the A720 at about 00.55 BST on Sunday.

He is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff’s Court on 10 October, two days after Northern Ireland’s final World Cup qualifier match against Norway.

In a statement, the Irish Football Association (IFA) said it was “aware of an alleged drink-driving incident involving Michael O’Neill”.

The IFA added that it was a “police matter” and would make no further comment, after the story first appeared in the Scottish Sun.

O’Neill became manager of the Northern Ireland international football team in February 2012.

He has enjoyed considerable success during his five-and-a-half-year tenure, guiding the team to their first ever European Championship finals last year.

A few months before the team travelled to France for the Euro finals, O’Neill signed a new four-year contract with the IFA.

His success has continued into the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The team is currently second in their qualifying group after a string of impressive results.

Both of their final two qualifiers – at home to Germany on 5 October and away to Norway on 8 October – take place in the week before Mr O’Neill’s court case.

During his playing career, O’Neill won 33 caps for Northern Ireland and scored seven international goals.

The midfielder started out playing for Irish League club Coleraine and went on to play for Newcastle United, Dundee United and Hibernian.

When he hung up his boots, he entered management as an assistant at Cowdenbeath in Scotland, before taking charge of another Scottish side, Brechin City.

In 2008, he was appointed manager of Dublin team, Shamrock Rovers, and guided them to successive League of Ireland titles in 2010 and 2011.

He made history by becoming the first manager of a League of Ireland team to reach the group stages of the Europa League.

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