'No doubting' teenager Smith's talent
Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby says she is "really excited" by the inclusion of 16-year-old goalkeeper Abbie Smith in her squad for the forthcoming Nations League games against Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina.Smith has been named in the senior squad for the first time after joining Manchester City on a two-year scholarship from Crusaders Strikers in March.The teenager was brought in to train with the squad last month but is now officially part of the panel after impressing the NI boss.Northern Ireland sit second in Group B1, four points behind the table-topping Poles before the final pair of fixtures.They will play the unbeaten group leaders at Seaview in Belfast on Friday, 30 May and then travel to Zenica to face third-placed Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday, 3 June."I think the fact that Abbie came in and she was seamless in relation to training intensity, being in and around the group and the maturity that she showed," said Oxtoby."There's no doubting her talent so that was really impressive. The main thing when we're looking at the younger players coming in is are they ready for that senior environment?"Oxtoby has involved other young players in recent squads also, including Aimee Kerr, Abi Sweetlove, Keri Halliday and Kascie Weir."They're all playing really well and they add a lot. They add a lot of quality to our group," she added. "We know their ability says they are, but from a cultural and an emotional point of view, are they ready? There are elements of that we need to appreciate are quite difficult for young players to come into."Our job is to support them in that and Abbie has really impressed in that area. We're really excited to see how she goes in a full camp."
Furness experience invaluable
Oxtoby says the retention in the squad of all-time top scorer Rachel Furness, who was drafted into the panel for the first time in 18 months for the game against Romania last month, adds an important element of experience. "She [Furness] has been playing really well for her club, Newcastle United, and she added a fair bit in terms of her experience and versatility and confidence that she brought to the group."Furny will come in and whether she gets minutes or she doesn't get minutes the standard and the professional values she has after all her experience being in and around the game will help lift the group."We've got two massive games where we could top the group and who would have given us a chance of that at the start of the campaign? We need someone who has got that confidence and has been there and done that to help support those younger ones."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- BBC News
Celtic linked with trio of wingers
Celtic have restarted talks with long-term target Michel-Ange Balikwisha as the 21-year-old winger prepares to leave Royal Antwerp. (Sacha Tavolieri on X), externalCeltic have reopened talks over a potential deal for Sarpsborg winger Sondre Ørjasæter, with the Norwegian club holding out for a fee of around £7m for the 21-year-old, who was a January target for Brendan Rodgers' side. (Sky Sports), externalFulham striker Callum Osmand has completed a medical with Celtic, with the Scottish champions to pay training compensation for the 19-year-old once the deal is completed. (Sky Sports), externalAnderlecht have rejected an initial approach from Celtic for Ecuador winger Nilson Angulo. (StudioFutbol, external - in Spanish)Celtic are close to a £50,000 deal for 17-year-old Morton defender Isaac English. (Scottish Sun), externalRead the rest of Wednesday's Scottish gossip.
The Independent
33 minutes ago
- The Independent
Thomas Tuchel's message to fans after England's 3-1 defeat to Senegal
Thomas Tuchel has insisted there is no"no need to panic' after England 's shock 3-1 friendly defeat at home to Senegal England were booed off for the second time in four days as Saturday's 1-0 qualification win against minnows Andorra was followed by a first ever loss to African opposition on Tuesday evening. Asked in a press conference after Tuesday's match if the key message now is not to panic, the head coach said: 'Yes, 100 per cent. We lost a test (friendly) match so there is no need to panic. 'We have (played) three qualification games, we have nine points and not conceded. We will be competitive in September, and we will go for two more victories – 100 per cent we will.
BBC News
38 minutes ago
- BBC News
Casement Park: Euro 2028, millions of pounds and a 14-year saga
Could Casement Park's 14-year stadium saga finally be about to see some good news?The west Belfast site has been earmarked for a state-of-the-art new stadium since 2011 and was even included as a host stadium for when the UK and Ireland host Euro constant delays, legal issues and rows over funding meant the Euro 2028 dream withered while weeds continued to overtake the traditional home of Gaelic games in with the UK government potentially set to announce some new funding as part of its spending review, we take a look back on Northern Ireland's stadium soap opera - and what needs to happen for Casement to come to pass. Where is Casement Park? In west Belfast, just a stone's throw from the busy M1 motorway heading south out of the city, is where Euro 2028, one of the world's biggest sporting tournaments, was supposed to be hosted in Northern first opened in 1953 as a stadium for Gaelic games, and has been the home of Antrim GAA since its inception. The official capacity was just more than 31,000, although three-quarters of the ground was there have been no visitors to Casement in more than a decade and, for years, any passing motorists able to crane their neck into the ground would only see a derelict work did begin at the site in February 2024 in anticipation of the stadium's construction for Euro 2028 - but the long-running row over who pays for it put paid to Northern Ireland's hosting hopes. What happened to Casement Park and Euro 2028? Short answer - nothing. And it's because of have been plans to build a new stadium at Casement Park since 2011, long before Euro that stadium was to cost about £76m, with £61m coming from Northern Ireland's power-sharing government and £15m from the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).But those plans got bogged down in a morass of legal rows, safety concerns and planning permission was rekindled in October 2023 when Casement Park was included as a host venue as part of the UK and Ireland's successful bid to host Euro 2028. However, Uefa tournament specifications, which would turn the GAA ground into an all-seater stadium suitable for Euro 2028, meant construction estimates spiralled - at least £300m, and possibly more than £400m according to the UK government (an estimate the GAA said was "wildly exaggerated"). It would also have to be ready by summer 2027 - a tight turnaround, although not impossible if the hefty bill could be cash-strapped Northern Ireland Executive said it would pay no more than £62.5m and the GAA similarly would not go beyond £ the Irish government promising €50m (£43m), it was all down to whether the new Labour government was willing to make up the October, judgement was delivered - the UK government would not meet the shortfall and Casement Park would not be built for Euro 2028. Northern Ireland would not host matches as part of the UK and Ireland tournament. Why didn't they play Euro 2028 at another Northern Ireland stadium? Uefa requires that all European Championship stadia have a capacity exceeding 30, National Stadium at Windsor Park - Northern Ireland's footballing home - holds 18,500 Irish Football Association (IFA) said there was "no route to fund an expansion" of the ground, despite it being the preference of some Northern Ireland football fans. When it came to Euro 2028 in Northern Ireland, it was Casement or bust. What now for Casement and who's paying for it? Euro 2028 may be gone, but Casement could live as per its original vision - a state-of-the-art ground that could become the home of Antrim GAA and the host for Ulster finals, major events and concerts.A reduction in capacity and no requirement to meet Uefa tournament standards means estimated costs have fallen to about £250m-£ that is still a hefty wedge and the standoff over who will pay has continued, with a little friction at January, minutes emerged of a "fraught and tetchy" meeting between the GAA and the Northern Ireland minister responsible for sport, Gordon GAA has acknowledged it will increase its financial commitment to the project and said it was cautiously optimistic ahead of the UK government's spending review. What is the story behind the Casement Park delay? To answer that question, we have to go back a couple of that time, Northern Ireland's three main stadiums for football, rugby and GAA - Windsor Park, Ravenhill, and Casement - were seen as increasingly not fit for and a new plan was needed. Initially, Northern Ireland's power-sharing government - the Northern Ireland Executive - came up with an idea for a new, multi-purpose national stadium for all sports. But the divisive proposal of situating the stadium at the site of the Maze Prison - which held paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles, Northern Ireland's bloody conflict of 30 years - meant the idea was eventually dashed on the political instead, in 2011, it was decided that cash would go towards stadium redevelopment:Windsor Park, the home of Northern Ireland's international football team and Linfield FC, would get £25m to build a 18,500 all-seater stadium - it reopened in October 2016Ravenhill, the home of Ulster Rugby, was redeveloped and capacity increased to 18,000 at a cost of £16.5m - work finished in May 2014About £36m would be set aside for sub-regional football stadia aka grounds used by local football clubAnd Casement Park would get £61m - the same amount as football in total - for a new 38,000 capacity stadiumWhile Ravenhill and Windsor - or the National Stadium as it is now officially known - are open and hosting big events, Casement Park has only seen a digger or two. Why has the Casement Park redevelopment taken so long? In 2012, stadium designers were appointed to the project and it was expected the new Casement Park would be built by 2015. But it did not turn out that first big obstacle came in 2014, when the High Court overturned planning permission for the residents had lodged a legal challenge over objections to the stadium's size - they said it would block out light from homes and cause serious traffic in 2015, came possibly the most contentious year of the Casement Park it emerged that a Safety Technical Group (STG) formed to oversee safety issues around the new stadium had not approved the design plans due to concerns over how long it would take people to leave the ground in an one of the STG members, safety expert Paul Scott, told a Northern Ireland Assembly committee that he had been put "under pressure" to approve the plans by government also complained of bullying - he later settled an industrial tribunal case with Sport NI. With the original Casement plan now scrapped, the GAA went to work on plans for a new stadium, revising the capacity down from 38,000 to about 34, submitted a fresh application for planning permission in 2017, which was granted in in 2022, local residents lost a legal challenge against the new project against the plan - the stadium could now go ahead. What else do we need to know about Casement Park? Well, as ever, if Casement Park does get extra money from government, you can be sure other sports will be asking why they cannot get the same years there has been frustration among local football fans over stadium money of a different kind - when cash was announced for Casement, Windsor Park and Ravenhill more than a decade ago, £36m was set aside for what were described as sub-regional football football league grounds in Northern Ireland are in dire need of redevelopment. But that fund only opened for applications at the start of this year, after delays caused by years of political instability. No money has been distributed yet. As the original stadium plan put Gaelic games and football on an equal funding basis, it is likely football authorities will be asking questions should the government offer extra cash for issue is also further complicated by how sport and politics intertwine in Northern and the GAA have long had an uneasy, distrustful relationship. One of the GAA's own stated goals - "the strengthening of national identity in a 32-county Ireland through the preservation and promotion of Gaelic games and pastimes" as per the organisation's official guide - puts it and unionism in political Park itself is in predominantly nationalist west Belfast and named after after Sir Roger Casement, an Irish revolutionary who, in 1916, was executed in London for treason. However, DUP minister Gordon Lyons attended his first GAA match last month in a move seen as highly symbolic given its timing close to the UK government's spending optimism may be most keenly felt by the stadium's long-term tenant, Antrim GAA, who have essentially been left without a fit-for-purpose home ground thanks to its dereliction. So what next for Casement Park? The short answer - get the money, get the stadium built and file the Casement saga into long answer? It remains to be seen how much the UK government, GAA or any other source will put on the table to pay for the stadium - and with a shortfall of about £150m, it will require some serious largesse. However, there is no doubting the political will of the GAA, supported by Northern Ireland's biggest political party Sinn Féin, to get Casement built. A gesture today from the UK government could bring things a step closer to reality.
