Northern Ireland v Luxembuourg (05/09/2024)

THE SQUAD: LUXEMBOURG WORDS: IAN PARKER

ANTHONY MORIS GOALKEEPER

TIAGO PEREIRA CARDOSO GOALKEEPER BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH (GER) AGE 18 CAPS 1 GOALS 0 Seen as a talented prospect, Pereira Cardoso skipped several levels when he went from the Under-17s to earn his first senior international call up in June 2023, making his debut in a 1-0 friendly loss to Malta that summer. He joined Borussia Monchengladbach’s academy in 2022.

RALPH SCHON GOALKEEPER FC WILTZ 71 AGE 34 CAPS 18 GOALS 0

UNION SAINT-GILLOISE (BEL) AGE 34 CAPS 65 GOALS 0 Moris played for Belgium at various youth levels up to Under-21 but was eligible for Luxembourg via his father and made the switch in 2013, gaining a call-up the following year and quickly establishing himself as the regular senior team keeper. He has spent his entire playing career in Belgium, joining Union SG in 2020. CHRISTOPHE ANDRADE BRITES DEFENDER F91 DUDELANGE AGE 17 CAPS 0 GOALS 0 Still only 17, Andrade Brites has barely made a mark in senior football to date but it is a measure of the potential seen in the young right-sided player that he has been called into the senior squad for the new campaign. KEVIN D’ANZICO DEFENDER FC DIFFERDANGE 03 AGE 24 CAPS 0 GOALS 0 Two years after earning the last of his 15 caps for his country’s Under-21s, D’Anzico has been rewarded for his club form with Differdange in the Luxembourg top flight by receiving his first senior call-up. LAURENT JANS DEFENDER SK BEVEREN (BEL) AGE 32 CAPS 102 GOALS 1 Captain Jans is the most capped player in the current squad and one of only three players to have earned more than 100 caps in Luxembourg’s history. His career has included spells with Metz, Paderborn, Standard Liege and Sparta Rotterdam.

Schon made his international debut in a World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands in 2018 (a 3-1 defeat) and has been the long term back-up to Moris. He joined his hometown club of FC Wiltz 71 in 2020.

DIRK CARLSON DEFENDER SKN ST POLTEN (AUT)

MAXIME CHANOT DEFENDER LOS ANGELES FC (USA)

AGE 26 CAPS 54 GOALS 0 Born in Portland, Oregon, in the United States but raised in Europe, Carlson first broke through in Luxembourg’s domestic scene at the start of a career which has taken him to Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands and most recently Austria.

AGE 34 CAPS 69 GOALS 4 French-born Chanot began his professional career in England, joining Sheffield United from French club Reims’ academy and playing a handful of games on loan at Mansfield. Chanot won the MLS Cup with New York City in 2021 and has been a member of the national team for a decade.

ELDIN DZOGOVIC DEFENDER 1 FC MAGDEBURG (GER) AGE 21 CAPS 5 GOALS 0 Dzogovic was given his Luxembourg debut as a 19-year-old, playing in a

LARS GERSON DEFENDER KONGSVINGER IL (NOR)

AGE 34 CAPS 96 GOALS 4 Gerson’s international debut came in a 2-0 friendly defeat to Wales in March 2008 as Freddy Eastwood got both goals. Gerson has spent the bulk of his club career in Norway - he holds dual citizenship - and in 2022 he returned to his boyhood club Kongsvinger.

1-0 friendly defeat to Qatar while still in the reserves at German club FC Magdeburg. Predominantly a right-back, Dzogovic can play across the backline and also on the right of midfield.

ENES MAHMUTOVIC DEFENDER NAC BREDA (NED) AGE 27 CAPS 32 GOALS 0

MICA PINTO DEFENDER UNATTACHED

AGE 31 CAPS 32 GOALS 1 Left-back Pinto represented Portugal at youth level but in 2020 he accepted a call-up from Luxembourg and made his debut against Liechtenstein in October of that year at the age of 28. He left Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem by mutual consent in late August.

Kosovo-born Mahmutovic signed for Middlesbrough in 2017 and scored on his debut, a 3-3 Carabao Cup draw with Notts County, thus becoming the first Luxembourger to score a professional goal in English football. He spent time on loan with Yeovil before being released, playing for CSKA Sofia before joining NAC Breda this summer.

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NIR V LUX