Michael O'Neill has been appointed the new coach of the Northern Ireland national team.

The 42-year-old, who will begin his duties in February, has signed a two-year deal with the Irish Football Association.

"I am honoured to be chosen to manage my country. I am a proud Northern Irishman who was fortunate enough to win 33 senior caps and it was always an ambition to manage my country," said O'Neill.

"There is a huge amount of work to be done but with the right direction and the necessary passion good progress can be made. The board and the CEO have a clear plan for the future and have given me responsibility to set about the task of renewal within the context of a long-term plan.

"At the same time, in the interests of everyone involved, most particularly our supporters my job is to work with the players to sustain a competitive performance throughout the qualifying phase of the 2014 World Cup Finals."

O'Neill recently left his role as manager of Shamrock Rovers.