McIlroy is now in temporary charge at Conference club Morecambe while boss Jim Harvey recovers from the heart attack he suffered before the home defeat by Cambridge United on November 12.

As the club continue to challenge at the top end of the Conference, the focus switches this weekend to a North West derby in The FA Trophy at Vauxhall Motors.

You’ve joined Morecambe in sad circumstances haven’t you?

Yes, it is a sad situation for Jim and his family. I have always been good friends with him and he was my assistant when I was in charge of Northern Ireland. I am just here at Morecambe to steady the ship while Jim gets himself back in shape. I wish I was at the club in a happier situation.

You had great success in the Conference before winning the title twice as manager of Macclesfield didn’t you?

Yes that’s right. We did everything possible in the Conference at ‘Macc‘.
It is a good experience to work at this level and it has always been a strong competitive league. Nothing has changed since I’ve been away.

In fact standards have probably improved haven’t they?

Exactly. There are so many teams benefiting from full-time training now.
I think there are only a handful of clubs left that remain part-time. So it makes everything more competitive. A number of teams have good financial backing and that means it is difficult to get promotion.

How do you assess the set-up at Morecambe?

There is a decent squad here. Jim has had the nucleus of his team for a number of  years and he has added one or two players to it. They are a strong side in the Conference and they have been knocking on the door for a few seasons to try to get into the play-offs. Hopefully they can do it this season.

I see similarities here with the set up we had at Macclesfield. There are nice people at Morecambe and it is a well-run club. The supporters have backed me too.

What were the highlights of your playing career?

Making my debut as a 17 year old for Manchester United stands out. It was a 3-3 draw against Manchester City so that was a fantastic match for anyone to get involved in. Also, winning the FA Cup in 1977 against a Liverpool side that were going for the treble. And representing my country and playing in the World Cup Finals in 1982 and 1986.

And what have been the managerial highlights?

Managing your country is a great honour. Also what we did at Macclesfield was tremendous. We won the Conference twice, the FA Trophy and got promoted to the Second Division.

Finally, how is Jim Harvey?

He has been having tests to see what sort of treatment they can give him. So hopefully then they will know exactly what they have to do with Jim and get him back to working order again. In the meantime, I will be giving it my best shot and I hope that my experience helps the club.