O’Neill is in his second spell as NI boss, having taken up the reins again in December 2022 after a period in club football as manager of Stoke City.
Magennis highlights some of the attributes he believes his international manager possesses.
“First of all, obviously, he’s tactically very, very astute.
“He knows the game of football inside out, and he brings in the right people to do the right positions in terms of his staff, so there’s no one here that’s just here for the sake of it. Everyone has a role and responsibility.
“He is a massive, massive believer in you have to be able to get about the football pitch. If you don’t run, you will never play in his football team, regardless of how good you are on the ball.
“He’s always managed to play players and play a formation that gets the best out of that certain player. It’s not in terms of getting the best players on the pitch. It’s what will bring the best out of this formation for his team.”
Man-management is another positive quality, according to the forward.
“He always manages to get the best out of the players in terms of their strengths, and that’s been proven from the likes of Isaac Price, Ethan Galbraith, Pierce Charles, Shea Charles, Trai Hume, Dan Ballard, all these vast array of players.
“Some of them have played for Northern Ireland before they’ve played for their clubs, and he always has that knack, and he gives you that trust and that belief.
“It’s just about going and expressing yourself, so you’re able to play with that freedom. You’re not playing under pressure.”
