Northern Ireland v Austria

AUSTRIA SQUAD

Words Liam Blackburn

GOALKEEPERS

HEINZ LINDNER GRASSHOPPER ZURICH

CICAN STANKOVIC RED BULL SALZBURG

RICHARD STREBINGER RAPID VIENNA

Age Caps

28 22

Age Caps 0 Goals 0

26

Age Caps 1 Goals 0

25

Goals 0

Lindner is currently Austria's first choice having previously been behind Ramazan Ozcan and Robert Almer in the pecking order. He made his international debut back in 2012 and is now back playing regular first team football in Switzerland after a frustrating spell with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Yet to win his first senior cap but has been an unused substitute on four occasions. The Bosnia and Herzegovina-born stopper has won the Austrian Bundesliga in each of his three seasons with Salzburg, though this is the first campaign in which Stankovic has played more than nine league games for the club.

Strebinger made his international bow just last month in a 2-0 loss to Denmark; he played all 90 minutes in the friendly. The goalkeeper began his career in Germany, featuring for Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen, before joining Rapid Vienna, for whom he has been first choice since 2015.

DEFENDERS

ALEKSANDAR DRAGOVIC BAYER LEVERKUSEN

MARTIN HINTEREGGER AUGSBURG

STEFAN LAINER RED BULL SALZBURG

Age Caps

27 68

Age Caps

26 35

Age Caps

26 10

Goals 1

Goals 3

Goals 0

Vastly-experienced defender who spent the previous campaign on a season-long loan with Leicester, where he made just seven league starts. Made his Austria debut nine years ago and was sent off in Austria's opening game of Euro 2016 against Hungary for two yellow cards.

Of his three goals for his country, one came at the Aviva Stadium against the Republic of Ireland in June 2017, and another came in a 2-1 friendly win over then world champions Germany a year later. A four-time league champion in his native country with Salzburg, Hinteregger has been at German side Augsburg since 2016.

Lainer's international debut came in a friendly against Finland in March 2017 when he came on as a second half substitute in a 1-1 draw. Played all 90 minutes in the win over Northern Ireland last month. The full- back's father, Leo Lainer, was an Austrian international who also played for Salzburg.

ANDREAS ULMER RED BULL SALZBURG

KEVIN WIMMER HANNOVER

DAVID ALABA BAYERN MUNICH

Age Caps 8 Goals 0

33

Age Caps 9 Goals 0

26

Age Caps 65 Goals 13 26

Long-serving Salzburg defender who has been with the defending Austrian champions since 2009. He has won eight league titles during that time and five domestic cups. His international debut came in 2009 but he has appeared just eight times for his country in total.

Wimmer will be familiar to fans of English football from his spells with Tottenham and Stoke. His most recent appearance for Stoke in the Premier League was in January against Manchester United, and he has been on loan with Hannover since June. Made his senior Austria debut in 2013.

Austria's star player was not involved against Northern Ireland in Vienna due to injury. A regular for European giants Bayern Munich, Alaba can play at left-back or in midfield. The seven-time Bundesliga champion became the youngest player to ever feature for his country in a 2009 friendly against France.

MIDFIELDERS

JULIAN BAUMGARTLINGER BAYER LEVERKUSEN

STEFAN ILSANKER RB LEIPZIG

FLORIAN KAINZ WERDER BREMEN

Age Caps

30 64

Age Caps

29 33

Age Caps

26 12

Goals 1

Goals 0

Goals 0

Kainz was an Austria Under-19 and Under-21 international who first appeared for the senior team in November 2015. Won the 2010-11 Austrian title with Sturm Graz, his local club, before moving to Rapid Vienna and then Werder Bremen in Germany in the summer of 2016.

One of Austria's most experienced players has spent the majority of his career in Germany, bar a two-year spell with Austria Vienna. Won his first cap in 2009 and played all 90 minutes in each of his country's three games at Euro 2016. His only international goal came in a 2014 friendly win over Czech Republic.

Another of those who featured at the last Euros for Austria, central midfielder Ilsanker started against both Iceland and Portugal in France but was withdrawn on both occasions. He is yet to score for his country and has not scored a league goal for his club since December 2015 either.

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