Lyons credits family for return to NI starting team

Brad Lyons won his sixth Northern Ireland cap in Friday night's 1-0 defeat by Slovakia.

Northern Ireland midfielder Brad Lyons believes that life away from football is helping him to perform better on the pitch.

Manager Michael O'Neill gave the Kilmarnock captain his first international start in over two years during Friday night's 2026 World Cup qualifying defeat by Slovakia.

Despite the frustration of the 1-0 reverse, the 28-year-old said it was the "proudest moment of his life" to have his fiancee Aishlyn and three-month-old son Theo watching on from home.

"My fiancee surprised me and went out and got him a Northern Ireland kit so I got the photo before the game," said the former Coleraine and Blackburn Rovers player.

"I do everything for them so it was a proud moment to have them watching me. Without them I couldn't do this.

"It's one of them ones where my life outside of football is perfect so it's reaping rewards on the pitch."

With Shea Charles and Ali McCann still out injured, and George Saville now suspended after his second booking of the campaign, Lyons is hoping for another start against Luxembourg at Windsor Park on Monday night (19:45 GMT).

Northern Ireland have already booked a World Cup play-off spot through the Nations League and can neither improve their seeding for that March fixture nor qualify automatically for next summer's tournament.

Despite the lack of bearing the final qualifying fixture will have on the Group A table, Lyons still believes Luxembourg's visit remains an important one.

"I think Monday night is massive, to be honest," he added.

"Michael [O'Neill] said it straight after as well, that we want to play at Windsor, put on a good performance, hopefully get a good result and show the fans what it means to us and take that momentum into March.

"Yes, it's disappointing [to lose in Slovakia] but we've got a play-off. All focus is on that and it starts on Monday night."