MICHAEL O'Neill last night urged Rangers supporters to cut Steven Davis some slack over his decision to leave Ibrox.

The 30-year-old midfielder, a captain and inspiration for his country, returns to Hampden this week, the best part of three years after he exercised his rights under TUPE regulations not to sign up for the Rangers newco being launched by Charles Green. A fee was subsequently agreed with Southampton for his services, and the player has hardly looked back since. His international manager is convinced his decision has been vindicated by history.

"I think he had to leave Rangers when he did," said O'Neill. "Steven Davis had made a five-year commitment to Rangers, you know. It was Rangers who struggled to honour that, not Steven Davis to be fair. I think it was unrealistic to expect a player of Steven's calibre to go and play in the Scottish Third Division at that point in time. I think he left in the right way in that they got a fee for him.

"He had to fight hard to establish himself in Southampton's team," the Northern Ireland manager added. "He is fitter than he has ever been. So I definitely think that as a player Steven benefitted from leaving Scotland at that moment in time. And I would say that even if Rangers had stayed in the SPFL. I think Steven benefitted from the challenge that the English Premier League gave him at that stage of his career. He has signed a new long term contract down there. Anyone who knows him at all knows what kind of player he is, and knows what type of lad he is. I think any criticism he has had has been extremely unfair."

Not only does O'Neill live in Edinburgh and populate his squad with Scottish-based players such as Niall McGinn, Sammy Clingan, Paul Paton, Josh Magennis, and goalkeepers Alan Mannus and Michael McGovern, his choice of home base gives him an expert eye on the Scotland scene. For the record, O'Neill reckons Scotland are on the cusp of a brave new era if they can afford to leave players such a Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong out of their squads.

"I think Scotland are in an era where they are potentially going to be strong," said O'Neill. "Look at the players that aren't in Gordon's squad. Stuart Armstrong and Mackay-Steven are both players that I see playing regularly in the SPFL. There are a lot of good young players playing here in the SPFL that I think are going to mature. The next step in their development might be to go to England, but they will potentially strengthen the international squad, there is no doubt about that. I wouldn't say I expected them both to be in it already. Gordon picks his squad and I know he likes to be loyal to players as well. But hey are just an example of two players who will continue to embellish the squad that he has. It is nice to have players like that on the periphery of things who are still playing at the top level."

O'Neill was signed by Strachan for Coventry City during the 1990s, even if he spent more time in the reserves than in the first team. It wasn't all plain sailing. "The time I worked with Gordon it was difficult because Gordon was still the best player at the club, although maybe Gary McAllister would have said he was the best," said O'Neill. "I watched a lot of games so I am able to tell you that. In those days you always tried to avoid being in Gordon's team at training because those were the days you had to work harder than you had ever worked!"

"He liked a little bit of running," O'Neill added. "He had a wee shuttle session that he liked to do. Sometimes you thought that was for fitness and other times you just thought it was out of badness! Nah, he was a brilliant coach, very good in terms of his knowledge and attention to detail, but most importantly just how he invigorated players and got into them on the pitch. I was in the reserves at that time, when Gordon's son Gavin was coming through, and you would think 'oh no Strachan's coming tonight'. It was a bit like the Jim McLean situation, we used to play United at Forfar on a Monday night, then wee Jim would turn up and everything just went up a couple of levels. He had that mentality and ability to get the best out of players and that has been shown in the Scotland job."