Abbie Magee: NI return 'a long time coming' for Linfield defender
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Abbie Magee impressed for Northern Ireland in a friendly defeat by England last February
Abbie Magee says she is "really excited to be back" after the defender returned to the Northern Ireland squad following a knee injury.
Magee, 21, injured her ACL in the week leading up to Northern Ireland's historic Euro 2022 play-off victory over Ukraine last April.
NI face the Faroe Islands on Thursday in the first of three friendlies.
"The first stage you can't even walk and you have to take it step by step to build it back up," she said.
"It's been a long time coming as I was out for nine months but I'm happy to be back in squad."
Magee was set for a breakthrough year after impressing on her first start against England in a friendly last February, a performance which led to manager Kenny Shiels labelling the right back as NI's "best player".
However, a knee injury ruled her out of NI's historic play-off victory, something Shiels described as a "hammer blow".
Magee returned to the Northern Ireland set-up as one of 22 domestic-based players on a full-time professional contract ahead of Euro 2022 and she credits team-mates and fellow knee-injury victims Demi Vance, Caragh Hamilton and Ashley Hutton for her recovery.
"It was hard to take at the start. Having Demi and seeing how she was coping with it helped me to keep pushing on and try to get back in the team.
"You have to work hard, it's not easy. There was a couple of us out injured so we had each other to motivate each other.
"Every step you have to keep pushing through. Even the small things like getting back on the ball and getting back running, it is tough but if you put the work in there are rewards for it."
Magee added she was "so excited" at the prospect of pulling on a Northern Ireland shirt again but said she would "keep cool and composed and we will see what Kenny goes with."
Injury returnees a boost
Northern Ireland will face the Faroes, Romania in Switzerland in a 10-day training camp in Spain as their preparations continue ahead of April's World Cup qualifiers with Austria and England before Euro 2022 in July.
Durham defender Sarah McFadden says it is motivating to see Magee return to the squad along with fellow long-term absentees Megan Bell and Sam Kelly.
"It's nice to see how hard these girls have had to work to come in and get their opportunity again," said the 34-year-old.
"You can tell right away how happy, confident and enthusiastic they are to be here and sometimes that makes you appreciate it.
"It's nice to see somebody come back from a long-term injury and reach their goal. The players before their injuries were starters for us so it will push players on in their positions and make all of us better having them back."
Sarah McFadden has won 83 Northern Ireland caps
McFadden added that she has noticed a difference in the domestic-based players after five weeks of full-time training in comparison to November's qualifiers with North Macedonia.
"You can tell how much more confident they are and it's not always football-based," she added.
"In November we had girls in the gym who couldn't actually do the gym session, but when we went to the gym yesterday every single player was so driven and so professional.
"Everyone is getting stronger and it is nice to see the younger girls - imagine how good they are going to be in two or three years with the professional environment."