Sport

Magennis answers critics in famous win against Greece

Kenny Archer

Kenny Archer

Kenny is the deputy sports editor and a Liverpool FC fan.

Northern Ireland qualified for the Euros for the first time ever with a 3-1 victory against Greece at Windsor Park
Northern Ireland qualified for the Euros for the first time ever with a 3-1 victory against Greece at Windsor Park Northern Ireland qualified for the Euros for the first time ever with a 3-1 victory against Greece at Windsor Park

Group F: Finland v Northern Ireland (tomorrow, 5pm, Sky Sports 1)

PLENTY of points proven – but more to make. Just one more point for Northern Ireland will ensure they top this group but beyond the collective, individual players have targets too.

Goalkeeper Roy Carroll recently turned 39, while defender Paddy McNair isn’t long into his 20s, and both may have battles to make the Euro 2016 team.

That will probably be the case for Josh Magennis too, despite scoring his first international goal in the 3-1 Windsor Park win over Greece which secured qualification on Thursday night.

The 25-year-old believes he has answered harsh critics of his admittedly amazing positional transformation to centre-forward, saying:

“I think it is time to stop talking about my past as a goalkeeper…Seven years ago I was a goalkeeper and made the transition.

“People said I wouldn’t amount to anything and my career wouldn’t amount to anything and that I was a laughing stock. But instead of going into my shell, I use it as fuel.

“People can easily have a go but the fundamentals of what I do haven’t changed. I worked hard.

“Yes, my technique can be worked on but you have to have that burning desire to be a better person and I have always had that.

“I always try to do my best and hopefully I shut a lot of people up on Thursday night.”

Magennis led the line well against Greece, replacing suspended top scorer Kyle Lafferty, recalling: “I feel I did well against two centre-backs who play for Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, to go toe-to-toe with them and say I have matched them and score a goal is unbelievable.

“It is still early in my development as a striker. It is great for confidence but there is no point in me getting carried away.

“I don’t think I’m a world beater and I won’t be shouting about what I can do. I will stay grounded and the people around me will make sure I do.”

McNair is another who’s fighting for his place, not just in tomorrow’s team with Conor McLaughlin having served his one-match ban, but also for his club Manchester United.

Thursday was the first time he’d played competitively at Windsor Park and he notes with some understatement “it was a great game to make my debut there.

“When Michael [O’Neill] said I was starting I was really looking forward to it. It was our biggest game in 30 years and for it to be my first game at Windsor it was a good one.”

The target beyond tomorrow is to get more games for Manchester United, having featured more regularly last season.

He’s understandably happy with how his career is going, of course: “It is going well. I just want to play as much as I can.

“I haven’t played as much this season for United but I’m on the bench every week and it is good to be in the manager’s plans and hopefully in the coming months I’ll get more games.

“I thought last season I would go out on loan but there were a lot of injuries last season which helped me get my chance. You need that bit of luck and I got that luck and took my chance.

“It is such a big club and there is huge competition for places and as a young player sometimes you have to be patient.”

He’ll talk to English colleagues like Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick about tournaments, and revealed: “They wanted us to qualify. Everybody wanted us to qualify. They were rooting for us and I’m sure if we get them in the draw there will be a few words exchanged.” He adds, with a laugh: “I’d rather get them in the later stages maybe and knock them out.”

Carroll is at the other end of his career, but that only enhances his appreciation of qualification:

“The last time we went to a big tournament was 30 years ago so there were a lot of people before me who were hoping to go to big tournaments.

“Ryan Giggs wanted to go to big tournaments for Wales and he never achieved it.

“I’ve got a chance now and a lot of players here… Aaron Hughes, what a professional he is – 96 caps and he brought a lot in at the start of this campaign as well. It’d be a great honour for him to go there as well.

“Young players and experienced players like myself, we want to be walking down the street and people say ‘There’s Roy Carroll, he got the team into Euro 2016’. It’s fantastic and that’s what you want when you retire.”

Having lost his starting place to Michael McGovern after an injury, he wants the international aspect of his career to finish in style – in France: “My hunger is to try and play in the finals if I get selected, because there’s still a long way to go.”

There’s one more small step to take tonight. The Finns have been in good form in their last three matches, under interim coach Markku Kanerva, picking up seven points.

Indeed they seemed set for a third consecutive 1-0 win, and to remain in the qualification picture, until Romania scored an injury-time leveller to keep alive their hopes of topping this group.

That goal and result caught out several Northern Ireland players in their immediate post-match interviews on Thursday night, increasing their desire to ensure they really do end up as group winners.

Carroll was among them, and he insists: “It’s very important. We’ve done so well this campaign and the players just want to finish on a high.

“Thursday night after the game it was fantastic. I won’t forget that night in a hurry. Especially me, I haven’t got many years left in my career and I’ll enjoy every minute of it”.

A Finnish point would be a fine finishing point.