Jeff Whitley is urging his Northern Ireland team-mates to give record scorer David Healy a helping hand against England tomorrow.

The 25-year-old Leeds striker looks likely to operate on his own up front in this World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford.

And his tally for the province - eight goals in 10 games - is up there with the best.

Sunderland midfielder Whitley, 26, found the target in the 2-2 draw with Wales and is looking for more of the same tomorrow.

''It was fantastic to score at the Millennium Stadium, '' he said.

''We rely on David Healy to get most of the goals but we all need to start chipping in.''

Whitley heads for the theatre of dreams while enjoying a season of dreams.

He has re-invented himself at promotion-chasing Sunderland after a difficult time at Manchester City and is also a vital cog in the Northern Ireland engine room.

''I like to think I am back to my best,'' he said. ''After I left City I had a two-year break from international football.

''Then I got a chance at Sunderland, it's my second season there, and got back into it.

''Playing at Old Trafford will be massive.''

Whitley - whose club-mate George McCartney was yesterday ruled out of the match because of a groin strain - is not fazed by the prospect of coming face to face with the likes of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

He explained: ''I played in a Manchester derby when Paul Scholes and Roy Keane were in the middle and David Beckham was on the right.

''It was tough but you want to play against the best in the world and test yourself.

''We all know what Gerrard and Lampard can do. If they get the ball and start knocking it about, then we will have problems.

''We have to be right on top of our game in the 90 minutes and right on top of them.

''The players need to raise their game but also enjoy it. We want to come out the match with no regrets.''

l John Toshack has consigned Robbie Savage to the history books by declining to even discuss the wayward midfielder who has walked out on his new regime.

And the new Wales chief made it clear he expects no more dissent in the ranks by declaring: ''I would think everybody here is now on board, I would hope so for their sakes, and for all our sakes.''

Toshack is on the brink of his first competitive match as Wales' new boss, and his first tilt at the World Cup from the dugout, seemingly disinterested in all talk of the Blackburn midfielder.

Savage insisted the former Real Madrid chief would take Wales ''back to the dark ages'' when he was told he was dropped from the squad to face Austria.

Toshack said: ''I would rather talk about the players who are here rather than the ones who are not here - particularly so close to such a vital match.

''All I will say is that we have been very encouraged by what we have seen this week.

''When someone new comes in they have different ideas, it always happens, certainly at club level.

''Some of the training this week has shown a few have had difficulty adapting but their concentration, enthusiasm and effort has made me very optimistic.''