Michael O'Neill insists Ross McCausland's performances for Rangers have helped inspire his international team-mates.

The midfielder has made 25 appearances for the Ibrox side so far this season, scoring twice and providing four assists.

McCausland also recently signed a contract extension with the Light Blues and has found himself in the international picture with Northern Ireland.

The Rangers academy graduate made his debut for O'Neill's men against Finland in a Euro 2024 qualifier in November and while the 54-year-old admits the player's rise to prominence has taken him by surprise, he hopes other youngsters will follow the midfielder's example.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, he said: "Ross has done extremely well. He has held down a place consistently despite big competition at Rangers with their form being so good.

"They have picked up results and a lot of points with the new manager Philippe Clement and clearly he is a fan of Ross because he plays him in basically every game.

"What’s also good is that he plays him for 90 minutes a lot of the time which for a wide player is not always the case.

READ MORE: Philippe Clement's Rangers No.9 demands: Freedom, passion, patterns

"I think Ross has developed a lot in the last two to three months and hopefully he brings that form and that consistency on to the international stage.

"I think a young player like Ross needs an opportunity. It didn’t look like he was going to get that opportunity at Rangers.

"Then it came a little bit out of the blue and Steven (Davis) helped him in that respect when he was interim manager and in for two games.

"That gave Ross a breakthrough and Philippe Clement kept him in the team subsequent to that.

"Every young player needs a break whether it is at club or international level and I think Ross is a great example to a lot of our young players because he grabbed it with both hands