Gareth McAuley confident Northern Ireland can be 'really competitive' at U19 European Championship and backs young stars to make future senior step

McAuley has played his part in some memorable moments on the international stage – none bigger than scoring Northern Ireland’s first goal at a major tournament since 1986 when he netted during a 2-0 Euro 2016 victory over Ukraine in Lyon – and will now aim to pass those experiences onto his young charges after naming a 20-player panel for the tournament which gets underway at Inver Park on Monday.

His squad includes one current Irish League star in Larne’s Corey Smith while Braiden Graham and Aodhan Doherty, who both departed Linfield this summer for Everton and Blackburn Rovers respectively, are also named alongside the likes of Liverpool’s Kieran Morrison, Rangers midfielder Blaine McClure and West Ham United’s Josh Briggs.

Former West Brom defender McAuley has full confidence in the group he’s assembled and called for Northern Ireland supporters to get behind the team, believing they’ll have an early glimpse of some future senior international stars.

"It has been a long process,” said McAuley after revealing his final squad. “I can remember after a double-header in Austria a couple of years ago saying to the boys to make sure they were going to have the shirt.

"It's a massive competition and in football there's always somebody coming behind you. We've a number of 06’s and 07's in our squad, but the belief I have that they are the right boys and the balance we have in the squad is something I'm really happy with.

"There have been ups and downs over the journey we've had and I feel in talking to the staff around me that we've picked a squad that's going to be really competitive.

"We always talk to the players about the connection with the fans and how big of a difference that made to us. It'll be the same for these boys.

"They don't get the opportunity to play at home much or in front of crowds, but they're at the start of their journey and they are aspiring to play on the big pitch in front of a crowd.

"My message (to the fans) would be to come along and support them because there are boys in that squad who I believe will play for Northern Ireland at senior level."

This will also be McAuley’s first major tournament as manager and he’s looking to channel the emotions of achieving history as a player into his new role in the dugout.

"It's a little bit surreal to be honest to be a manager now and leading a group of players,” he added. “I'm trying to instil the beliefs and a lot of the cultural things we had as a successful squad in 2016 and give them that belief and desire to perform that we had.

"It's been a learning curve on how to do it, the different personalities and how to manage every individual, whereas as a player you only managed yourself and Michael (O’Neill) did all the rest for us.

"It has been incredible and I'll be proud, as will all the players who have been selected and their families."

Squad: Goalkeepers – Pierce Charles (Sheffield Wednesday), Mason Munn (Rangers).

Defenders – Tom Atcheson and Aodhan Doherty (both Blackburn Rovers), Daithi McCallion and Conor Barr (both Derry City), Josh Briggs (West Ham United), Gallagher Lennon (St Mirren), Brendan Hamilton (Aberdeen), George Goodman (Bradford City), Joel Thompson (Nottingham Forest).

Midfielders – Kieran Morrison (Liverpool), Lewis Trickett (Accrington Stanley), Francis Turley (Celtic), Jack Doherty (Fleetwood Town), Blaine McClure (Rangers), Corey Smith (Larne).

Forwards – Braiden Graham (Everton), Sam Glenfield (Fleetwood Town), Reece Evans (Reading).