Northern Ireland Aim To Make History Tonight

With it being a sell-out crowd at Windsor Park, the home fans could help to inspire the players to beat a Greek team that haven’t won a single game in their qualifying campaign.

An extra 1500 tickets made available last week were snapped up in just 180 seconds.

If the stadium was fully finished and packed the atmosphere would be incredible but for it being sort of 10, 11, 12,000 people coming to the game it feels like you’re playing in a 30,000-seater stadium.

The nation have not competed in the finals of the European tournament since 1986.

The highest scoring third place team automatically goes through – now that’s Ukraine.

Northern Ireland are comforted by the fact one slip-up from Hungary in their remaining two qualifiers – at home to the Faroes and away to Greece – will also copper fasten qualification.

“We get two bites at this which is a nice position to be in but obviously we want to do it at the first attempt”, he said.

“Jonny will join the squad tomorrow with a view to Sunday”, confirmed manager Michael O’Neill. “We genuinely believe we can take care of it in front of our own supporters”.

“I’ve no idea what I would do to celebrate”, he joked.

Michael O’Neill’s men are now top of their qualifying group and know that any kind of victory over Greece on Thursday would send them through to a first major tournament since the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, nine years before McNair was even born in 1995.

O’Neill must also find replacements for suspended trio Conor McLaughlin, Chris Baird and Kyle Lafferty.

“If that is the case it’ll be very nervous last few minutes at Windsor”.

The West Brom centre-half suffered a hamstring injury at the weekend and has not yet travelled to Belfast.

In reply to the polite spoken Canal+ reporter’s declaration that France is awaiting Northern Ireland’s arrival at next summer’s finals, O’Neill said: “The prize at stake is great and the players are determined to be part of it”.