O'NEILL BACKS PLAYMAKER

MICHAEL O'Neill pointed to preseason, last season and competition to explain Jamie Donley's start to life at Stoke City and what could happen next in the playmaker's career.

- Peter Smith

O'Neill, pictured, has called up Donley to the Northern Ireland squad for back-to-back World Cup qualifiers in Belfast over the next few days; taking on Tomas Rigo and Robert Bozenik's Slovakia tomorrow before hosting Germany on Monday.

He admits that the 20-year-old midfielder, on loan at Stoke from Tottenham Hotspur for the season, will be finding his feet a little at the moment after only making three Championship cameos over the last couple of months, as well as two Carabao Cup starts.

Donley was a key man in Leyton Orient's side last season as they reached the League One playoff final before losing out to Charlton at Wembley.