Northern Ireland’s Stuart Dallas looking for positive start to EURO campaign

Another qualifier against Belarus takes place on Sunday and with European giants Germay and Holland in the group Leeds United winger Dallas wants the campaign to start on a positive note.

“People will probably look at the group and see Germany and Holland and just think ‘Northern Ireland have no chance’ but with the way the fixtures have fallen it has given us a lot more confidence.

“I think we’ve got to win these two games and then the summer becomes massive for us.

“Without being disrespectful to the opposition, these are games we have to win and if we can do that and take maximum points it puts us in a good position.

“In previous campaigns that momentum has helped us and we’ve shown we are hard to stop.

“That would then leave the bigger nations coming to us later on in the year needing to win and Windsor Park wouldn’t be a nice place to come to, needing a result.

“So if we can pick up maximum points, it will put us in a good position and you’d always rather have the points on the board than trying to play catch-up,” he said.

Northern Ireland played the Nations League with a new high tempo approach and although they were unsuccessful during the campaign Dallas says they will still look to play with that style of football.

“Michael wants us to play that way. We are only here for two games this week and we have to make sure we give it everything we have and hopefully the rest will take care of itself.

“There are a lot of positives we can take from the Nations League, maybe not results but in terms of performances we played well and can take a lot from it.

“It was good experience for the younger lads who came in and they added a freshness. It was good for them and they are ready to kick on.”

And Dallas says he is in good shape after being out of action after picking up an in jury.

“I feel good, I feel fit. The injury was frustrating time. It happened on December 1 against Sheffield United, I broke two toes and I was due to come back after about two month and then suffered a stress response on my heel so they thought that would keep me out for another four to six weeks but I was able to get back in three.

“It’s been frustrating, though, especially when the team was winning and you weren’t a part of it but it’s great to be back now and I feel good.”