Leeds United defender Stuart Dallas has paid tribute to Stoke City manager Michael O'Neill for the work he did in charge of Northern Ireland.

It was announced this week that O'Neill - who took charge of the Potters earlier this season - would be stepping back from his role with Northern Ireland as a result of the altered schedule brought about at both club and international by the ongoing suspension of football across the majority of the World.

O'Neill took charge of Northern Ireland back in 2011, guiding them to their first-ever European Championships in 2016 - where they reached the second round - and a place in the play-offs - which have yet to be played - in the qualification process for the next edition of the tournament.

During O'Neill's time in charge of Northern Ireland, Dallas has become a regular feature for his country over recent years, making a total of 41 appearances for the Green and White Army - 40 of which have come since 2015 - and it certainly seems as though O'Neill has had quite the impact on him in that time.

Speaking to Belfast Live about working with O'Neill at international level, Dallas said: “I loved every minute playing under Michael…He was a really great person and you could lift the phone to him anytime. He did a lot for me and I’ll always be thankful for that…

“Nobody expected us to qualify for a major tournament, but we reached Euro 2016 and it turned out to be an incredible journey."

Reflecting on the chances O'Neill gave him after that recall in 2015, Dallas continued: “Michael brought me back for a friendly against Scotland in 2015 and didn’t show any hesitation in throwing me in at the deep end during the Euro 2016 qualifiers.

"I came on against Finland and ever since I think I started every game for him bar a couple, so he showed great belief in me.”

The Verdict

This is good to see from Dallas.

O'Neill certainly did a lot for Northern Ireland during his time in charge of their national team, and it clearly seems to have benefitted Dallas as well, so this recognition for O'Neill appears to be well justified.

Indeed, it looks as though Stoke themselves have started to reap the rewards of O'Neill's managerial abilities since his arrival at the Bet365 Stadium, something the Potters themselves will surely be grateful for given their precarious position when he took over.