News Focus
- Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland squad faces France in Lille, ten years after their historic Euro 2016 campaign.
- Only two players from the 2016 squad remain, with Josh Magennis the sole fit veteran preparing to face Les Bleus.
- At 35, Magennis chases his 100th international cap while mentoring a new generation of talented youngsters.
- The friendly serves as France’s final warm-up before the World Cup, following a shock defeat to Ivory Coast.
- Northern Ireland fielded their youngest team since 1945 against Guinea, signalling a bright future for the Green and White Army.
Picture this. It is 16 June 2016. Large ice stones fall from the sky in Lyon. Gareth McAuley heads the ball into the net. He scores one of the most important goals in Northern Ireland’s history.
Now, ten years have passed. Michael O’Neill brings his team back to France for a special match. They will play Didier Deschamps’ France side in Lille on Monday. This game is France’s last test before the World Cup starts.
Northern Ireland will not go to the World Cup. They lost to Italy in the play-offs. However, fans feel hopeful. The squad is young and improving. People believe they can reach a major tournament again soon.
Only two players from the 2016 Euro squad are still in the team. Paddy McNair, who just helped Hull City move up to the Premier League, is injured. This leaves Josh Magennis as the only player from that famous summer who can play.
Magennis is now 35 years old. He left Exeter City and is currently without a club. Still, his memories of 2016 are very clear.
“I still remember leaving the hotel in the Culloden. I remember getting the suits. It was unbelievable,” Magennis told BBC Sport NI. “It was amazing from start to finish. To play for your country is brilliant. To play against the world’s best teams at the Euros was fantastic.”
Two moments from the pitch stay in his mind. First, he helped create the second goal against Ukraine. In the final minutes, he ran into the box instead of keeping the ball in the corner. Niall McGinn scored. “We celebrated with our families. I looked at the boys’ faces and thought, ‘We are going to win a match at a major tournament.'”
He also remembers the match against Germany. Goalkeeper Michael McGovern played very well that day. “It was amazing. It showed all our hard work paid off at the Euros.”
The fans also made a big impact. “When we went to the fan zones, everything was green and white. We took over every place we went. It was a full group effort.”
Magennis won his 88th cap last Thursday. He came off the bench in a quiet win against Guinea. He has played for his country since 2010. He is a popular player with the fans.
He dreams of winning 100 caps. However, he knows young players want his place in the team. Jamie Donley is now a regular starter. Three teenagers also played against Guinea: Ceadach O’Neill from Arsenal, Kieran Morrison from Liverpool, and Braiden Graham from Everton.
Magennis wants to help these young players. “When I first joined the squad, Martin Patterson, David Healy and Kyle Lafferty helped me. They were fantastic. I will do the same for these new boys.”
He says it is important to support the young players who do not play senior football for their clubs yet. “It is a different type of game for them. I need to talk to them and help them settle in quickly. They have unbelievable talent. Hopefully, they can be a special generation for Northern Ireland.”
Against Guinea, Northern Ireland’s starting team had an average age of just 22.1 years. This was their youngest side since the end of World War Two.
Magennis says age does not matter if you are good enough. “Michael will always give you a chance. The young players love playing. They have lots of energy. Hopefully, they will stay in the squad for a long time.”
The striker admits he does not know if he will reach 100 caps. “But it gives me a reason to keep going. I have always chosen my club teams carefully so I can play for my country. Every camp feels like my first. I do not take it for granted. We saw with Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas and Chris Brunt that your career can end in an instant. So I enjoy every moment.”
Even though they missed the World Cup, Northern Ireland still play against top teams. They have recently faced Italy, Germany and Spain. Now they test themselves against France.
France have world-class attackers like Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise. “They are probably one of five teams who expect to win the World Cup,” says Magennis. “They have unbelievable players. But if we only worry about them, we cannot show how good we are.”
France lost to Ivory Coast in Nantes on Thursday. Magennis thinks Northern Ireland can take advantage if France play poorly. “We must stop their danger, but we have our own threats. If they are lacklustre or disrespect us, we have enough quality to hurt them. That is our plan.”