Michael McArdle reveals first Northern Ireland women's squad for Malta double header
Michael McArdle has made two changes to the Northern Ireland senior women’s squad as he prepares to manage the country for the first time later this month.
McArdle has chosen a 23-player panel for home and away FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 qualifiers against Malta this month.
Hearts Women midfielder Joely Andrews is back in the Northern Ireland squad after missing last month’s World Cup qualifiers through injury.
Andrews, who has 33 senior caps, last played for her country in the two UEFA Women’s Nations League play-off games against Iceland back in October.
There’s also one new face in the squad in Linfield Women striker Cora Chambers, who previously played for Northern Ireland at U19 level as well as for a U16 development side.
The 22-year-old attacker joined the Blues from Sion Swifts Ladies in February 2024 and she was second top scorer in the country last season with 20 goals. In total she has scored 39 goals in 47 appearances for Linfield.
Not included this time are experienced defender Sarah McFadden, who drops to the standby list, and teenager Mia Moore, who will instead be part of the Women’s Under-19 squad competing in Euro qualifiers this month.
Northern Ireland will be aiming to get their World Cup qualification campaign back on track following defeats to both Switzerland and Turkiye in their opening two games.
The first instalment of the double header against Malta is taking place at Mourneview Park in Lurgan on Tuesday, April 14 (KO 7pm).
And the teams will meet again on Saturday, April 18 at the Centenary Stadium in Ta’Qali (6pm BST start).
Speaking ahead of those games, McArdle told BBC Sport NI: "It's really exciting for me personally now the ball's close to rolling and it's time to feel even more energetic.
"The work we've been doing over the past couple of months to prepare and certainly a great gratitude to both associations and their friendship together to allow us to to carry that work out and certainly it's been great from that aspect and just really look forward to the ball rolling.
"It's exciting to be on the touchline again and representing the country."
In League B Group 2 Switzerland and Turkiye each have six points after two games, while both Northern Ireland and Malta are still searching for their first points in stage one of the European qualifiers for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil.
Full squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers – Jackie Burns (Bristol City Women), Lauren Perry (Montrose Women), Abbie Smith (Manchester City Women).
Defenders - Rebecca Holloway and Rebecca McKenna (both Birmingham City Women), Abi Sweetlove (Linfield Women), Natalie Johnson (Nottingham Forest Women), Ellie Mason (Charlton Women), Laura Rafferty (Rangers Women).
Midfielders - Louise McDaniel and Brenna McPartlan (both Burnley Women), Nadene Caldwell and Aimee Kerr (both Glentoran Women), Megan Bell (Linfield Women), Leyla McFarland (Durham Women), Joely Andrews (Hearts Women).
Forwards - Lauren Wade (Hearts Women), Keri Halliday (Motherwell Women, on loan from Hearts Women), Caragh Hamilton (Sunderland Women, on loan from Nottingham Forest Women), Kascie Weir (Glentoran Women), Danielle Maxwell (Burnley Women), Casey Howe (Wolverhampton Wanderers Women, on loan from Nottingham Forest Women), Cora Chambers (Linfield Women).