Josh Magennis column: Northern Ireland striker on Denmark, the O'Neill factor & the next generation

In his first BBC Sport column, Northern Ireland striker Josh Magennis - who is currently out injured - discusses the challenge Denmark will pose, working under Michael O'Neill and why he thinks the future is bright for the Green and White Army.

Nothing can replace the rush you get playing for Northern Ireland, but as I continue my recovery from a broken leg, I'm really pumped to see how the boys will perform against Denmark and Kazakhstan.

Friday's game against Denmark in Copenhagen should be a great occasion. It's obviously going to be a massive challenge, but I'm confident the lads can put on a good show and give the travelling Northern Ireland supporters a reason to make some noise - not that they ever need any encouragement!

Denmark are a very strong team. They are used to qualifying for major tournaments on a regular basis and have some really talented players operating at the highest level in the club game.

But Northern Ireland are never scared to take on the biggest challenges and we have proven down the years that we can compete with the best.

Denmark will see themselves as favourites and will be out to banish the memories of their dramatic loss to Kazakhstan last time out. But we're in a similar boat. Losing at home to Finland hurt, but I have faith that the boys can deliver a result and set us up nicely ahead of welcoming Kazakhstan to Windsor Park on Monday.

'Michael leaves no stone unturned'

It's been exciting having Michael O'Neill back in as manager. We obviously enjoyed some great times during his first spell in charge and there's a real hunger in the squad to create more memories for the Green and White Army.

Michael has always been great with me. He trusted me to play in some of the biggest games during his first spell, including that memorable night against Greece at Windsor Park when I scored my first international goal to help the team secure our place at Euro 2016.

That was a big night for the country and for myself. It filled me with confidence and I'm determined to create more Windsor roars once I regain my fitness.

One of the keys to Michael's success has been preparation. Regardless of the opposition, Michael and the coaches leave no stone unturned when planning for games.

He always has a clear sense of how the opposition play and, more importantly, how he wants us to execute our gameplan.

Magennis repaid O'Neill's faith in him by scoring against Greece, with captain Steven Davis (left) netting twice as Northern Ireland clinched Euro 2016 qualification

For the Denmark game, the coaching staff will be showing the lads exactly how we need to defend and how we can break them down when we get the ball at our feet. As always, taking whatever chances come our way will be key.

I know from being in the squad for the San Marino and Finland games in March that there is a real collective drive to get Northern Ireland back to tournament football.

A lot of us obviously got a taste for it in France in 2016, but we've had some painful times since then.

We came so close to the 2018 World Cup in the play-off against Switzerland and had a great chance to qualify for Euro 2020, but lost to Slovakia in the play-off final after having beaten Bosnia-Herzegovina in the semi-final.

Those opportunities slipped through our grasp. It left a bitter taste in our mouths for sure, but it has only fuelled our desire to reach the heights of 2016 once again.

Strong mix of experience and youth

We have our fair share of injuries at the moment, myself included, but I think there's a really strong mix of experience and youth in the squad.

It was great to see Lee Bonis, Callum Marshall and Aaron Donnelly all receive their first senior call-ups. They will bring plenty of energy and enthusiasm to the camp and hopefully they will get a chance to bank some experience early on in the international careers.

It's a brilliant dilemma for Michael to have. Even without the likes of Steven Davis and Stuart Dallas, look at some of the experienced players he has for these two games: Jonny Evans, Craig Cathcart, Paddy McNair, Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

They all know exactly what Michael demands and how to reach the required level. They will lead by example and show the younger lads exactly what is expected when you pull on a Northern Ireland jersey.

It's a big deal playing for your country and singing the national anthem alongside your team-mates, especially at Windsor Park when the place is rocking.

The new squad members will get to experience all the buzz and nerves that come with these big games, but I have no doubt they will embrace the occasion and show us why they are Northern Ireland's next generation.

Bonis has been fantastic for Larne and scored a lot of goals in their title-winning campaign. I'm a big fan of Dale Taylor, who shone on loan at Burton Albion while Shea Charles is a classy player who has already made his debut for Manchester City.

Then there's Trai Hume, who has really established himself at Sunderland and narrowly missed out on the Championship play-off final. He has a big future ahead of him.

The quality is definitely there. Now it's over to the lads to put in a massive shift in Copenhagen and bring back a result before another big night at Windsor on Monday.

Josh Magennis was speaking to BBC Sport NI's Matt Gault

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