Michael O’Neill has hailed West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic as “incredible” following his cameo for Austria against Northern Ireland.
The 29-year-old came off the bench after 71 minutes of the Nations League clash at Windsor Park on Sunday night and was integral to the visitors delivering heartbreak to Ireland manager O’Neill.
A Valentino Lazaro goal with the last kick of the game secured a 2-1 win for Austria and O’Neill praised Arnautovic afterwards.
“To have the pace and technical ability is incredible,” O’Neill told Belfast Live (7.21pm). “He gives them a special spark. But we handled him well. Jonny Evans was fantastic. That was Gareth McAuley’s first 90 minutes of the season. The quality of the finish from Lazaro was impressive. It was a fantastic finish and a sore one for the lads to take.”
OPINION
Arnautovic is at the peak of his powers following a year in which he has developed from a hugely talented but inconsistent Premier League player into a bona fide star and one of the most potent attacking weapons in the league. He struggled to initially adapt at West Ham following his summer-of-2017 transfer from Stoke City for around £24million but has not looked back since ex-Irons boss David Moyes handed him a central striking role. Since last December, ‘Arnie’ has banged in 16 league goals to catapult him into the top bracket of Premier League front men. He is more than just a goalscorer, too. The big Austria is as strong as a bison, super quick and has the ability to combine the play and create goals for others. In short, he is an outstanding all-round package who would walk into pretty much every club and international team you care to mention. With the January window approaching, West Ham fans will be wary of a big spending outfit poaching their main man.