Soccer Advice Tips

Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington insists David Healy has "a long way to go" to reach the level that turned him into their record scorer.

Healy has joined Ipswich on loan from Sunderland, where he struggled to get a game and found the net in the recent draw with Scunthorpe.

Worthington, however, is not convinced Healy is anywhere near his best yet, and said: "I have watched David recently and you can tell he has not played football for a long time on a regular basis."

He added: "It shows the effect it has in physical sharpness and the mental sharpness. That's a fact. The more minutes David can get with Ipswich, Sunderland, wherever he's at, the better for him and the better for us.

"He's got a long way to go. When you have not started for your club side in the league for near on a year that is a hell of a long time.

"When you get five minutes here, 20 minutes there and 60 minutes in a cup game, it is not enough.

"Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, that's where you get your sharpness. We have a number of players in that situation. That is one of the unfortunate things with our squad at the moment."