Euro 2022: Northern Ireland's journey from part-time outsiders to 'greedy for success'
- Published
'What have we just achieved?' - The night Northern Ireland made history
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 - the night the impossible became a reality.
Rachel Furness throwing her crutches in the air, car horns blaring outside the empty ground and the all-round euphoria - it was 90 minutes filled with iconic moments.
Northern Ireland's feat of qualifying for Euro 2022 is so impressive you sometimes have to take a step back. Fifteen of the top 16 teams will be in England this summer. The outliers? Northern Ireland, who are ranked 47th in the world.
The majority of the squad were part time, balancing work and studies with their footballing commitments.
The team was hit by several long-term injuries with Furness, Demi Vance, Lauren Wade, Caragh Hamilton and Megan Bell all out as their side were forced to play the biggest game in their history in an empty stadium.
Yet despite it all, Northern Ireland defied the odds.
"I will remember that night for the rest of my life. When the whistle went it was the realisation of 'what have we just achieved?'," said striker Simone Magill.
"Ever since I was a kid all I wanted to do was play for Northern Ireland. I wanted to qualify for a tournament one day and be part of that first group to do it.
"For years people didn't know we were even playing a game and to see the stage we are on now - it's long overdue, it's well deserved and long may it continue."
Leading 2-1 from the first leg in Ukraine, Marissa Callaghan delivered a captain's performance to set her team on course.
Following a tight first half, the midfielder headed on Julie Nelson's free-kick, collected her own touch, rounded the goalkeeper and tucked into the net to spark wild celebrations.
"Ukraine were never going to take it away from us. We had incredible belief we were going to win," she reflected.
"I cried when I celebrated. It was astounding, it was magical, it was shock - there were so many emotions in that moment.
"It's funny, it is the first time I had my Quinn's [Callaghan's son] name on my wrist. I was prepping it for when I scored and said I was going to give it a kiss and it would be for him."
'It was a blur'
Natiya Pantsulaya's comical red card for taking out the charging Sarah McFadden was another memorable moment, and in the dying embers there was a final eruption of joy.
The game was all but won, but Nadene Caldwell's now iconic drop of the shoulder will live in the pantheon of great Northern Ireland goals alongside Gerry Armstrong, David Healy and Gareth McAuley.
"I don't know what was going through my head. It felt like about 15 seconds and it was in slow-mo. The rest is a blur," said Caldwell.
"It wasn't relief because we had already won the game, it was sheer enjoyment and the realisation that we had done it. It's one that will live on with us forever."
It was a night that deserved a full house of the green and white army cheering the team to history, but with the pandemic ongoing it took place behind closed doors.
Yet, in the second half as history beckoned, there was a surreal moment when a car horn started going off outside the ground, swiftly followed by another, and another as it quickly morphed into a chorus of socially distanced friends, family and fans from their vehicles.
It was a moment that gave goosebumps to those in attendance, including the injured players who were cheering on from the sidelines. Magill even went as far as saying that was a "turning point" for the team and their fanbase.
Caldwell added: "It was almost like they were outside celebrating with us. They were tooting the horns as if to say 'you've done it!'.
"The night was special for so many reasons. After the game we really embraced it as a team and enjoyed the moment. I feel like everyone was on the same page and wanted to embrace the moment."
'When will we get that feeling again?'
After playing a key role McFadden, who made her debut in 2005 and has battled through winless campaigns and years of fighting against the odds, said Northern Ireland have to enjoy the journey.
"If we were always successful it would never have been such a big moment and special feeling when we did qualify," she said.
"We have been through a lot. There were campaigns where we didn't even win a game or didn't even compete.
"That night with the play-off is something that we will never feel again. We get greedy now because we want that feeling again of being so successful.
"Now every time you play a game you want that feeling. We beat North Macedonia 11-0 and we were on the bus going back, and I said to Furney [Furness] that I wasn't even happy.
"When are we going to get that feeling again when we qualified for the Euros? We hope we do get it again this summer."