Gerry Armstrong won 63 caps for Northern Ireland

Gerry Armstrong has become the first candidate for the vacant Northern Ireland manager's job to meet with the Irish Football Association.

1982 World Cup hero Armstrong was in Belfast on Monday for another engagement and he took the opportunity to meet with IFA officials for preliminary discussions.

The former Tottenham striker is regarded as an outsider for the position.

He served as assistant-boss during Bryan Hamilton's reign in the mid-1990s but Iain Dowie and Jimmy Nicholl are thought to be more likely successors to Sammy McIlroy.

Ex-Northern Ireland internationals Lawrie Sanchez and Alan McDonald are also understood to have applied for the position while there has also been speculation that Howard Wilkinson could be in the frame.

The Irish Football Association hopes to appoint a new Northern Ireland manager in January.

IFA president Jim Boyce revealed last week that a list of potential candidates for the position has been drawn up.