New boss Tanya Oxtoby aiming to build on 'remarkable' Northern Ireland women's progress

The Australia-born former Chelsea Women assistant coach used her first interview since signing a four-year contract as Northern Ireland senior women’s manager to celebrate the progress made – and highlight hopes for continued forward steps.

“I had the privilege of seeing the squad play at the Euros and what an amazing story that was,” said Oxtoby in reference to Northern Ireland at Euro 2022, a first major tournament appearance by the senior women’s squad.

She continued: "My job is to get the best out of these players and, hopefully, we can go on a journey together where we are really successful.

"The team’s achievements so far have been remarkable.

“They’ve had a taste of it now and our job is to try and put processes in place to create an environment where we can continue that success and create more of those magical moments.

"Hopefully what that will do is inspire younger generations, encourage more participation in the sport.

"We’ve got a holistic responsibility to the game here and it’s our job to make sure we’re growing that from the ground up.”

​Northern Ireland open the UEFA Women’s Nations League campaign on September 23 away to Republic of Ireland.

“I’m really excited to be here,” she said at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast. “It’s a fantastic opportunity and when I was speaking to Aaron Hughes and Angela Platt we were so aligned in terms of our values and what we were wanting to do with the squad.

“It’s going to be a really, really exciting time.

"For me, as a manager, I like players to take responsibility, so you’ll see tactical flexibility and players making, hopefully, good decisions.

“Our job is to make this squad and the individuals within it as good as they can be and help them reach their potential and be successful along the way.

"Hopefully you’ll see players playing with a smile on their face and the team being successful along the way."

The first home date for Oxtoby will be when Abania play at Crusaders’ Seaview on September 26.