Stuart Dallas says whoever is appointed the next manager of Northern Ireland will have the "full backing of the players".
The Leeds United star praised the work of former boss Ian Baraclough during his two-year stint in charge of the national team, and said the players also needed to "take responsibility" for the results, which inevitably led to Baraclough's departure.
Dallas though feels Northern Ireland will reap the rewards of so many young players being brought into the senior set-up by the former Under-21 boss.
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The Cookstown native is thrilled to see the likes of Michael O'Neill, Neil Lennon and Stephen Robinson being linked with the job, and believes they will feel they have a good chance of pushing for a qualification spot after the group stage draw for the 2024 European Championships.
"There have been a lot of names mentioned, Michael being one of them," said Dallas.
"He would probably be the favourite amongst the fans to get the job, but there are other big names out there that have been linked to it too.
"Stephen Robinson has done a terrific job with Motherwell and now St Mirren, and has been involved with the IFA in the past as well.
"Neil Lennon is another, people say he would bring a bit of controversy but i don't know why because he's a passionate guy and things have changed from when he played.
"His track record is unbelievable, he's a born winner.
"There are other managers as well alongside those three. Grant McCann and David Healy are both doing good jobs with their club sides.
"So you never know who will get it, but whoever they decide to bring in will have the full backing of the players.
"The group we've been drawn in for the European Championship qualifiers, without being disrespectful to other nations, is probably a good group for us and it gives us a chance to stay in it right to the end with the way the fixtures fall.
"The candidates for the job will look at it and think there's a chance to do well."
The writing was on the wall for Baraclough after September's insipid defeat to Greece in the Nations League.
It was the 14th defeat of Baraclough's 28-game tenure, but Dallas the players have to look at themselves too.
"As players we have to take the responsibility as well," he said.
"Results and performances haven't been good enough, and whoever comes in that needs to change and we need to get back to winning games.
"When all is said and done and people sit back and reflect they'll see the job that Ian has done.
"Of course the results haven't been what we would have all liked, but the work he has done since he was with the Under-21s and stepped up, the players he has brought through, and the platform he has set up it's an opportunity for someone to come in and really push us on now.
"It's never nice to see a manager lose his job, especially one who you get on so well with, but Ian has been about the game long enough to know results weren't good enough and pressure grows when you don't win games.
"That has happened, we're in a results-based business, unfortunately something has had to change and he's lost his job.
"We wish him well and whoever the IFA chooses to bring in will have the full backing of the players."
Dallas, who has been involved in the Northern Ireland set-up for over a decade, winning 62 caps in that time, feels building confidence and turning Windsor Park into a fortress again will be key for whoever takes over the reins.
"When we look back at the games we've lost or drawn against teams we should have been beating recently," said the Leeds United star.
"But in the games against the big nations we've competed well with them.
"When I look back at the Italy game at Windsor we competed really well on the night, so there's still a lot of quality within the squad.
"There are a lot of young lads who have come in, but the quality is there and the experience is still there, which is a big thing.
"It just takes a couple of results to build momentum and confidence as well.
"If we can start the group off well we can achieve anything, especially at Windsor, which is a difficult place to visit when it's rocking.
"The fans have been a bit spoiled by the success in recent years, especially with the Euros and then just missing out on the play-off places the next time round.
"Hopefully we can get back to winning games again.
"As players we don't want to be coming here and getting mediocre results and not being successful.
"We want success, especially us older lads, we want more, and we can only achieve that by winning games."
Stuart Dallas was speaking as McDonald’s and the Irish Football Association launched the new McDonald’s Fun Football programme in Northern Ireland.
The launch of the new programme was celebrated at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park with McDonald’s Fun Football ambassadors hosting some of the many children set to enjoy Fun Football over the next four years.
Dallas and Northern Ireland senior women’s captain Marissa Callaghan were amongst the ambassadors that joined over 100 boys and girls as they participated in the special Fun Football session.
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