Michael O'Neill says he is confident none of his experienced stars will hang up their boots ahead of next year's Euro qualifiers.
Speculation has been mounting over the futures of captain Steven Davis - who turns 38 next month - and defender Jonny Evans (34).
O'Neill - who has returned for a second spell as Northern Ireland boss - joked that Davis "isn't allowed to retire" before reiterating how important it is for those senior players to prolong their international careers.
Read more: Michael O'Neill sends out resounding message to fans after NI return
"Steven has to play until he can't play anymore," O'Neill laughed.
"We've kept in touch and caught up after games he's been playing for Rangers. The biggest thing in Steven's season is he hasn't played much football. The change of manager at Rangers might help as he knows his quality, but I haven't seen him play much.
"Last season he ran the game against Hearts and was excellent, and again this season against Ajax in the Champions League. I'll be trying to convince Steven to play as long as he can."
O'Neill has also held talks with Leicester City defender Evans, whose season has been blighted by injuries.
He added: "We had a conversation. He's had a frustrating time in the last 12 months with injuries and has been back at his club playing, but Jonny is fully focused on playing international football.
"I was congratulating him on his 100th cap. It's important for me having those players involved, and I certainly don't envision having any retirements before March."
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