Josh Magennis column: 'Big Windsor night can help erase Denmark heartache'

Before I go into anything else, I have to start with Denmark. When you're watching a game while out injured, it's painful because you know you can't do anything to help your team.

You kick every ball and go through every emotion imaginable. Watching my Northern Ireland team-mates on Friday night was no different.

There's no two ways about it: it was a hard one to take. We defended as a unit and played good football at times on the counter-attack. The lads really brought the intensity and stood up well to a highly technical Denmark side in what was a raucous atmosphere.

We made Denmark work really hard for a 1-0 win and, in the end, came away gutted that we didn't take anything from the game because of that rollercoaster finish.

It was always going to be tough keeping Denmark out for the 90 minutes, but after we went 1-0 down, the lads did well to stay in the game and when Callum Marshall found the back of the net, I was absolutely thrilled for him.

The travelling Northern Ireland fans erupting with noise made for glorious scenes and it looked like a hard-fought point had been earned right at the death.

Think about it for a minute. Callum came off the bench for his international debut against a top European team and scored what we thought was an important goal. Callum's only 18. He would have been dying to get on, and when he was given the chance to become a hero, he took it.

That is fairytale stuff. It's what you dream of as a player. I'll never forget scoring my first Northern Ireland goal and, in the moment, I was living every second of it with Callum.

But then VAR intervened. It seemed to take an age for the officials to make a decision. It was an agonising watch. In the end, the goal was taken away from Callum and we lost the game.

It was a cruel twist of fate, but I'm sure the emotions he felt when the ball hit the back of the net will make him hungry for more. It will only make him stronger.

I know Michael O'Neill's been really pleased with how Callum's applied himself, both in the Under-21s camp that Michael led before this window and since he's been with the senior side.

That's the thing with Michael. If you follow instructions and apply yourself, you will always get a chance. I have no doubt Callum and the rest of the young lads like Conor Bradley, Isaac Price, Dale Taylor, Shea Charles and Trai Hume will get plenty more.

When you lose a game in those circumstances, you feel like your heart's been ripped from your chest. It takes a while to stomach, but we have to focus on the positives and remember that we didn't let age or inexperience get in the way of a solid collective performance.

Getting ready for a big night at Windsor Park

International windows are condensed. The turnaround is tight, especially when there's travel involved. Monday night's game against Kazakhstan will come quickly, but you never need to worry about getting yourself pumped up for a big night at Windsor Park.

Playing away games for Northern Ireland is exciting, but nothing compares to a Windsor atmosphere. Our place can really intimidate teams and kick us into that extra gear.

Waking up on a Windsor matchday is a great feeling. When it's an evening kick-off, like Monday's will be, it can feel like a long day but that's all part of the challenge of preparing yourself at this level.

We'd normally have breakfast then go to a local pitch and nail down some set-piece routines and other tactical bits and pieces.

Then we'd head back and have lunch. A few of the lads like to sleep in the afternoon. I tried that when I was younger, but I've found that staying alert is better for me. I prefer to have a coffee and chill out for a bit.

Magennis says nothing compares to the atmosphere generated by Northern Ireland fans at Windsor Park

Some players can sleep and wake up feeling refreshed. Everyone's different. As long as you stick to your tried-and-tested matchday routine, you know it's going to work for you and get you into the right mindset.

A bit later, we'll have something more to eat before a team meeting when Michael will say what he has to say before heading to the stadium.

Then once you're on the bus that's it. The excitement kicks in, the focus sharpens. When you reach the stadium and see all the fans, that's when the adrenaline really kicks in.

Then there's the small moments. The moment you step off the bus, the moment you step into the tunnel before kick-off, the moment when the national anthem kicks in.

They're the things I'll miss most when I decide to hang up my boots. There are rushes of electricity you get through your body playing for Northern Ireland that are difficult to describe and will definitely be difficult to replace.

It'll be the same for the boys on Monday. After the Denmark defeat and losing to Finland in the last Windsor match, I know there is serious hunger in the squad to get out onto that pitch and put on a real show for the Green and White Army at home.

There was a lot of positives to take from the Denmark game. Now it's time to build on them and bag three points before two away matches in the September window.

• NI 'not thinking about qualification' - O'Neill

• 'It is a joke' - O'Neill's anger at VAR decision

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