Aidy Boothroyd joins Northern Ireland coaching staff on short-term basis

Former England Under-21s and Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd has joined Northern Ireland’s coaching staff on a short-term basis.

The 51-year-old is working with the squad at this week’s training camp at St George’s Park near Burton and will also be part of Ian Baraclough’s backroom team for next month’s UEFA Nations League fixtures against Greece, Cyprus and Kosovo.

Boothroyd will fill a gap left by Adam Sadler, who is also first-team coach at Leicester, who is unavailable for the four-day camp and the Nations League games for personal reasons.

“I delved into the contacts book and Aidy is someone who I’ve known for a number of years. I used to play with him at Mansfield Town in the early 1990s,” said Baraclough.

“He’s got a wealth of experience. He’s been a Premier League coach, a Premier League manager, worked within academies at Premier League clubs and also worked internationally for seven years with England’s Under-21s, Under-20s and Under-19s.

“To call on someone like him has been invaluable. He’ll go to the June games with us and we’re totally looking forward to it.”