Do Northern Ireland women need an under-23s team?

Northern Ireland failed to qualify for back-to-back European Championships after a 7-0 aggregate play-off final defeat against Norway

"We need something to bridge the gap between under-19s and senior football."

Those were the words of Northern Ireland women's record cap holder Julie Nelson after Tanya Oxtoby's side fell short in their bid to reach next year's Euros in Switzerland.

They lost 7-0 on aggregate to two-time champions Norway in the play-offs and Nelson was asked about different areas that need addressed to help NI reach major tournaments consistently.

And whilst the Crusaders defender emphasised the need for investment "across the game" she also suggested introducing another age-group team given the jump from under-19 to senior level.

"There are a lot of players now, once they finish under-19s football they're maybe not getting the chance to get exposure again into the international squad," she said.

That inevitably leads to the question, do Northern Ireland need an under-23s team to try and better compete with the top nations?

England reaping rewards of under-23 team

Clinton impressed for England since stepping up from the under-23s in February

Northern Ireland do not need to look too far afield to see the benefits of introducing an under-23s team to help aid player development and better prepare them for a move into senior international football.

Reigning European champions England have had an under-23s squad for two years now after a restructuring of the age group teams which was driven in part by Sarina Wiegman after she arrived as manager in 2021.

They currently take part in a competitive U23 European League which was first introduced in September 2023.

The league featured nations such as Belgium, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, allowing the Lionesses to test themselves against some of the best young players in the world in competitive fixtures.

England were unbeaten in the first edition of the competition last season, but the format has been altered for the 2024-25 campaign, with a group stage, semi-finals and final akin to the Women's Nations League.

Given that Northern Ireland do not regularly qualify for tournaments at youth level like some of the aforementioned European sides in the U23s, they would likely start by playing friendlies and invitational tournaments.

That in itself is better than no exposure to international football that players 19 and over, who have not made it to the senior squad, currently face and also offers the chance for experimentation.

A number of players involved in England's under-23s squads have since progressed to the senior team. Manchester United midfielder Grace Clinton, arguably the biggest success story, has three goals in five appearances since moving up.

Halliday made a seamless transition from Northern Ireland's under-19s to the senior team

For England, Aggie Beever-Jones, Katie Robinson, Maya Le Tissier and Jess Park have also made the transition, while Laura Blindkilde Brown and Ruby Mace are the latest to make the step-up after making their debuts in England's 1-0 win over Switzerland earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Oxtoby has called up just two players from Northern Ireland's latest cohort of players that have passed through the under-19 set-up.

Linfield defender Abi Sweetlove trained with the squad ahead of October's play-off first round second leg against Croatia because of an injury crisis in defence, but did not make her debut.

NI's real success story has been 19 -year-old Keri Halliday, who has caught the eye with her energetic displays in midfield in her 10 caps to date.

Oxtoby has spoken of wanting to develop a greater depth of a pool of players and an under-23s team would allow her to better assess domestic based players too and whether they are ready to make the step-up.

Do the other home nations have under-23 squads?

Scotland are another side close to home that have an under-23 squad, although their fixtures are more sporadic as they have only played five friendlies in the past two years, two of which came earlier this year.

Like Northern Ireland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland do not currently have an under-23 squad.

However, Republic boss Eileen Gleeson stated earlier this year that the Football Association of Ireland [FAI] have plans in place to support the introduction of such a squad, although no timeline was given for when it would be introduced.

As well as the development of players the addition of the new age group for England has allowed young coaches to make their gain valuable experience.

Retired midfielder Remi Allen, ex-England international Anita Asante and former Aston Villa boss Gemma Davies are part of boss Emma Coates' coaching team.

On Wednesday, Irish FA director of women's football Angela Platt confirmed the association will launch a women's and girls' football strategy in early 2025 and it will be interesting to see whether an under-23s team is on the agenda.

It has been a real success story for England so far in terms of bridging a gap, developing players in competitive environments and widening the pool of players to choose from.

That is something Northern Ireland should surely look to emulate in their push to qualify consistently for major tournaments.