INTERNATIONAL: '˜The future is looking bright and positive' says Jordan Jones

Jordan Jones believes the future for Norther Ireland is looking very bright indeed following the 2-1 win over South Korea on Saturday.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Mar 2018, 16:05 BST
Updated 26th Mar 2018, 16:05 BST
Northern Ireland's Jordan Jones with Korea Republic's Ki Sungyueng during Saturday afternoons International Friendly at the National Stadium at Windsor Park, Belfast.Northern Ireland's Jordan Jones with Korea Republic's Ki Sungyueng during Saturday afternoons International Friendly at the National Stadium at Windsor Park, Belfast.
Northern Ireland's Jordan Jones with Korea Republic's Ki Sungyueng during Saturday afternoons International Friendly at the National Stadium at Windsor Park, Belfast.

Michael O’Neill’s men fought back from a goal down to defeat the World Cup qualifiers, with the Northern Ireland boss introducing Jones, Jamal Lewis and Paul Smyth into the senior line up.

It paid dividends as all three showed their quality on the day, with Smyth coming off the bench to score the late winner.

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“I’ve just given him a slap in the changing room as I’m probably going to be on the bench next game,” joked Jones when asked about the QPR man’s fantastic strike.

“He was fantastic and all credit to him, he deserves it.

“It was a very enjoyable afternoon and the boys showed great character to come back from 1-0 down.

“You learn a lot playing a team of this quality. Quite quickly you realise on the pitch not to expect as much of the ball so, when you do, try to use it as well as you can. When on it I tried to get the team well up the pitch.

“I think the future is looking bright and positive. We only really had five days with what was a new squad. Although there was experience, we had a lot of new faces.

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“I loved every minute and think the atmosphere was fantastic.

“It was just great to be part of it. It’s very exciting, with the new faces alongside the older pros. The more we all work together the better it will be.”

Jones is hoping to keep up his impressive form with Kilmarnock so that he can secure a place in this summer’s tour. “I just need to play as well as I can at club level, make sure I’m available for selection and then the rest should take care of itself,” he added.

Related topics:South KoreaNorthern IrelandQPRKilmarnock