Gills striker Rory Donnelly has been given the clearest indication yet that he could force his way into the Northern Ireland Euro 2016 squad.

Donnelly has scored 10 league goals for Gillingham from 16 starts and that form has alerted national team boss Michael O’Neill.

O’Neill will take Northern Ireland to the European Championships in France this summer where they will meet Germany, Ukraine and Poland in the group stages.

Belfast-born Donnelly is desperate to be a part of the squad, having represented his country at under-21 level, and the interest from O’Neill will be a further boost to a striker who is bang in form.

Donnelly, who is hoping to have shrugged off a back injury to be involved at Blackpool on Saturday, said: “My agent said that he (O’Neill) had phoned up and said, ‘I don’t want you thinking we aren’t watching Rory because we are’.

“It is nice and I thank him for it. If he is keeping his eye out then I need to be on top form just so I can get a look-in and see if I can go to the Euros.”

Read the full story in Friday's Medway Messenger