Can 'special' Graham Hansen fire Norway back to top?

Caroline Graham Hansen scored twice as Norway put one foot in the Euro 2025 finals

It's no secret that Caroline Graham Hansen is one of the best players in the world.

As Northern Ireland discovered, there is little you can do to stop her when she is in full flow.

In short, the Barcelona playmaker was a joy to watch in a wet and windy Euro 2025 play-off in Larne on Friday.

Norway were always favourites to get past Northern Ireland, but they effectively got the job done in the first leg as they cruised to a 4-0 win.

Graham Hansen ran the play from the first whistle, having two efforts blocked before she tucked away the opener after seven minutes - crushing any hopes of an upset in the process.

The 29-year-old was on the scoresheet again for the third goal as she played a neat one-two with Guro Reiten and showed superb pace to break into the area before she tucked the ball in at the near post when everyone expected her to shoot across goal.

Since finishing second at the Euros in 2013, Norway are a team who have failed to deliver upon their hype.

At the World Cup last year they were knocked out in the last 16 by Japan. Four years earlier, their dreams were ended by England in the quarter-finals.

In their last two Euros finals they even failed to make it out of the group stages.

Now, with new manager Gemma Grainger in the dugout, Norway are looking to build again and deliver the success the talent in their squad merits.

Chelsea's Retien and Arsenal's Frida Maanum are two of the best players in England's Women's Super League and while she has been hit by injuries in recent years, former Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg still oozes class.

There are stars everywhere you look, but it is Graham Hansen who shines the brightest.

Former Wales manager Grainger said Graham Hansen, who finished second behind Aitana Bonmati in the Ballon d'Or standings this year, has "so many qualities" that help her impact any game she plays.

"People see the attacking side of her game and the individual quality that she has, that goes without saying.

"But if you see her out of possession and some of the defensive runs that she made, she has that all-round game."

For Grainger, that is what makes her stand out from some of the other top players.

"That's what makes her a special player. Some of the best players maybe only have one side of that game but she has both.

"She led us out and her leadership skills, both on and off the pitch, are vital to us."

'If I score goals then it is good for me'

Graham Hansen finished second in the Ballon d'Or behind Barcelona team-mate Aitana Bonmati

There was almost an inevitability that Graham Hansen would find the net against Northern Ireland.

Almost a quarter of her 48 international goals have come against Northern Ireland and she struck her 10th and 11th efforts against the underdogs.

You would be brave to bet against her adding more to that tally in the second leg in Oslo on Tuesday.

"I didn't know that," Graham Hansen said with a smile when asked if she knew about her strike rate against Northern Ireland.

"I guess it suits me how they play. If I score goals when I play them then it's good for me."

Graham Hansen felt the first half performance was "quite good" and acknowledged her early goal was crucial to the pattern of the game.

"We know we are the favourites to go through and the longer it was 0-0 the more they would hope to get something out of the game.

"To get the early goal was very nice."

In a warning shot to Northern Ireland, she felt there was more to come as the Norwegians look to restore their place in Europe's elite.

"We scored four goals, but we maybe should have scored a couple more. The second half was a bit rusty, you could say.

"There were a lot of individual mistakes, and we killed our own rhythm. We let them be a part of the game instead of just doing the same as the first half."

'We will keep working and going'

After a strong end to a low-key 2024, in which Norway drew four of their Euro 2025 qualifiers before they hammered Albania 14-0 in their first play-off, Graham Hansen says consistency is the next challenge for the star-studded side - starting with Tuesday's second leg in Oslo.

"Hopefully we can finish off a good year for us," she added.

"There are a lot of new cultures and stuff, so we are looking forward to playing that game.

"Football is full of ups and downs. Stability is the most difficult part of playing football.

"To have links of good play in games is easy but to be perfect 90 minutes after 90 minutes is almost impossible.

"We will just keep working and keep going."

Frida Maanum was one of a number of Norway's stars to take time for Northern Ireland's supporters after the game

For Grainger, seeing the Northern Ireland supporters ask for countless selfies with Norway's stars after the final whistle only added to the joy after the victory.

"It's so nice to hear those young voices. I'm so passionate about growing the game," added the former Wales manager.

"It was a real inspiration for Northern Ireland to qualify for the Euros last time around.

"I hope they enjoyed watching the Norway team as much as the Northern Ireland team.

"If we can help them fall in love with the game then we're all doing our job."

If Graham Hansen and her team-mates keep doing what they are doing, then it's certainly a job well done.