Sarah McFadden talks up Kenny Shiels’ influence on Northern Ireland squad

The versatile 34-year-old is part of a 23-strong squad training in Marbella this week, taking on friendlies versus the Faroe Islands, Switzerland and Romania as part of preparations for April’s World Cup qualifiers against Austria and England.

Northern Ireland will go into those fixtures third in Group D, level on points with second-placed Austria after four wins, a draw and a loss – a record they have put together to carry on the momentum built by their successful qualification for this summer’s Euros, their first ever major tournament.

“I feel so happy and honoured to still be here,” McFadden said.

“Me and Rachel (Furness) were sitting on the bus today thinking we’re the oldest ones here now. It’s nice to still be a part of it.

“I think a lot of us would have retired a lot longer ago if Kenny hadn’t come in because it’s a lot of work to come away, a lot of impact on your family and a lot of sacrifice.

“But we’re just glad we’ve got the opportunity and that plays into everything we do on the training ground, helping the younger ones. Some of them don’t realise how lucky they are – they’ve played one campaign and qualified.

“I don’t think they realise ‘Furny’ and me played about 10 campaigns and never got anywhere near qualifying.”

After a magical 2021, capped by qualification for the Euros, the challenge now for Northern Ireland is not to build momentum but to sustain it.

But McFadden said the players keep their own targets smaller.

“For all of us it’s about being better in the next game, the next session,” she said.

“That only happens when we don’t look back. We’re all looking at being a better player than when we came in. I already feel a better player than when I came (to camp) on Monday, I’ve already learned so much.

“As long as we focus on ourselves as a group getting better, we don’t really look at momentum. We just want to make sure that in every game we’re progressing.”

Northern Ireland’s commitment to getting better has seen 22 players who had been part-time join a full-time training set-up in Belfast from January, a scheme which McFadden said was already bearing fruit.

“Straight away you can tell how much more confident they are, how much more professional everything is,” she said.

“It’s really nice to see for the younger girls who’ve never had the opportunity. Imagine how good they’re going to be in two or three years. It’s only going to help all of us.”

One of the players to benefit is Linfield defender Abbie Magee, who is back in the squad after a 2021 wrecked by an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The 21-year-old suffered the setback soon after making her first senior international start in a friendly defeat to England, one of several Northern Ireland players to sustain serious knee injuries as Demi Vance, Ashley Hutton and Furness were all sidelined last year.

“Obviously I’m really happy to be back,” Magee said. “It’s been a long time coming. It’s been tough, just working step-by-step and building back.

“Nobody wants to have this injury but there were a few of us out and we helped each other.

“It was tough on us but seeing how well the team was doing gave us motivation to get back. I can’t wait now, I’m so excited to pull the shirt on again.”

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