Northern Ireland v Norway Official Match Programme

DID YOU KNOW?

Niall McGinn won his 50th cap for Northern Ireland in the friendly against Croatia last November. Here we look back at some of the highlights among Niall’s half-century of appearances in a green shirt…

Thirty-two of Niall’s 50 caps have been won as an Aberdeen player, 13 were won during his time with Celtic, four while on a season-long loan spell at Brentford and one - on his debut - with Derry City. When Nigel Worthington gave Niall his debut in a friendly against Hungary at Windsor Park on November 19, 2008 he became the first Derry City player to win a senior international cap since Liam Coyle who made his one and only appearance for Northern Ireland versus Chile on May 26, 1989. To date Niall has played a total of 2,457 minutes for the senior international side; 804 of those minutes have come in friendly matches, 782 in World Cup qualifiers, 702 in European Championship games and 169 in the Carling Nations Cup. The Donaghmore man has only played the full 90 minutes in six of his 50 appearances. He has started a full international on 27 occasions and been used as a substitute on 23 occasions (scoring

twice!). He has also been an unused substitute no fewer than 12 times. All three of Niall’s international goals have been scored in competitive matches away from Windsor Park. His first goal for his country was in October 2012 in a 1-1 draw with Portugal in Porto the night Cristiano Ronaldo won his 100th cap. His second arrived on September 7, 2014 in the now famous 2-1 victory over Hungary in Budapest. Of course his last came in that never to be forgotten 2-0 Euro 2016 Finals success over the Ukraine in Lyon last June. Niall, along with Alan Mannus, Gareth McAuley, Luke McCullough and Stuart Dallas, was one of five players in the Northern Ireland Euro 2016 squad to have played Irish League football before embarking on a career in the professional game. He made a total of 64 appearances for Dungannon Swifts between 2005 and 2008, scoring four goals for the Tyrone outfit.

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