The new manager held an end of year briefing for the media in Dublin on Thursday, and indicated he sees no reason for change at the moment.
“Lots can happen in the meantime, but I'm not one for wanting to change” O’Neill said. “There's a whole lifetime between now and September, but if the first match was tomorrow, and everyone was fit and I had the same players available, and Robbie was playing, he would be the captain.”
The Derry man also reflected on the differences he’s finding between club and international management.
“We came back from Poland, and had a breakfast with the players. It was really strange to say ‘cheerio’ to them and then know I wouldn’t see them again collectively until March. That hit home after a day or two, but things have moved on since then and I’ve been out and about watching them play for their clubs.”
O’Neill also said he was open to the possibility of veteran goalkeeper Shay Given coming out of international retirement, and identified Norwich teenager Nathan Redmond as a potential Ireland player who has caught his eye.
