McIlroy attributes his success to new coach Tony Lester

The Northern Ireland runner set a new personal best of one minute, 46.68 seconds - a time good enough to qualify for the European Indoor Championships.

"I'm qualified now and that's what matters most," said the 28-year-old.

McIlroy is now hoping to gain a late entry into Sunday's international indoor meeting in Leipzig.

The Northern Irishman is hoping manager Ricky Simms can swing it for him to compete after he initially withdrew after contracting a cold.

After three successive wins over the past fortnight, McIlroy is brimming with confidence.

"I've been waiting over six years for this to happen and now I'm certain my career has turned the corner."

On Friday, McIlroy delivered an impressive run despite suffering from his bad cold.

The AAA indoor and outdoor champion accelerated away from the field in the final 300m, beating German Wolfram Mulle by 0.90 seconds.

McIlroy set a world-leading mark for 1,000m at the Sparkassen Cup in Stuttgart last weekend. And his time in Erfurt makes him third fastest over 800m in the world this year.