McAuley backed for top flight
Northern Ireland boss Nigel Worthington feels Gareth McAuley would not look out of place in the top flight.
The 30-year-old defender is something of a late bloomer, as he did not make his Football League debut until he was 24.
However, spells at Lincoln, Leicester and Ipswich have seen him earn a glowing reputation.
A number of assured displays have also brought international recognition, with McCauley set to win his 22nd cap for Northern Ireland against Chile on Sunday.
His coach at that level insists he always knew the centre-half was a talent and is not surprised to hear that the likes of Rangers and Bolton are now monitoring his situation.
Benefits
"I've known Gareth a long time and worked with him at Leicester City when I was there for a short period," Worthington said.
"He's a good pro, very focused on his job and I'm not surprised that bigger clubs are being mentioned.
"The more players we can have at the top end of the league, whether it be the Premiership or the Premiership in Scotland, the better for the player and the better for us."
Sunday's meeting with Chile will give Worthington another opportunity to monitor the progress of his young side.
The match, which will take place in Chillan, will also see Northern Ireland back in more manageable conditions, with Wednesday's 2-0 defeat to Turkey staged in stifling heat in Connecticut.
Extremes
"It's their autumn/winter here and more like British conditions with the air cooler and a bit of rain," Worthington added.
"So hopefully after having 103 degrees on the pitch the other day, we'll be going from one extreme away down the scale.
"The whole reason from the point of view of this trip are the challenges that are presented to the players from the travelling, dealing with different scenarios, playing Turkey and then Chile, different styles of football and a good challenge for the coaches, myself and the staff.
"It's been very good from the group as a whole, the seniors, young ones, Irish League. The whole squad has bonded exceptionally well, there's good spirit and we've been able to get some good work done.
"We're at close quarters with the players so we know what they can and can't do."
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