Northern Ireland v Switzerland 08SEPT

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The Wigan Athletic ace made his international debut in the World Cup play-off in Basel in 2017 but the night ended in heartache. A controversial penalty awarded against Corry Evans in the first leg in Belfast ultimately cost Michael O’Neill’s side a place in Russia. Jones admits it took a while for the squad to properly get over that disappointment , but they have the opportunity to write a new history against the Swiss at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park tonight . “I will always remember that night in Switzerland because it was a proud moment for me and my family when I made my debut ,” said Jones. “It was a moment I had dreamed of but we went into the game already a goal down because of that penalty decision. “I don’t think it’s a stretch to say it was one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen but we then went to Basel and could have taken the tie to extra time at least . “I remember Jonny Evans having a chance that looked as though it was going to go in but it wasn’t to be.” He admits it took a while for everyone involved in the Northern Ireland senior men’s team set-up to get that disappointment out of their system. “It wasn’t just the fact we lost the tie, it was the manner in which it happened, and I think everyone would say it took time to come to terms with the fact that we missed out on a place at the World Cup because of that decision. “But it’s a different time now. We have a new manager and that game was a long time ago. “We have new players in the squad who weren’t involved back then and the manager is trying to implement a new way of playing.” He believes the Northern Ireland squad are making good progress under Ian Baraclough and beating Lithuania and Estonia in the last two games has given them plenty of confidence. “I know the Estonia game was a friendly and if we hadn’t won the game it wouldn’t have been the end of the world, but picking up two wins going into this game is massive for us and hopefully we can make it three out of three.”

Jones’ international career has been stop/start since he last faced the Swiss, but after leaving Rangers in the summer to move to Wigan Athletic he is hoping for an upturn in his fortunes in the green shirt . He explained: “Everyone knows I’m a Rangers fan and that made it difficult when things didn’t work out for me. “To be honest in the end it was more of a relief to leave. I love the club and the people at the club but living in that goldfish bowl is not easy. “In the end I wanted to play football and that’s all that mattered. I had two years left on my contract at Rangers and could have sat there, but that would have been the worst thing for my career. “I want to play every week and I want to kick on with Northern Ireland. If I was only playing one or two games every few months, it would obviously be difficult for the manager here to pick me for big games and that played a big part in my decision.” He revealed Wigan had made their interest in him known for a while and it was important that his next move would be to a club where he felt wanted and the club could get the best out of him. “The season has started really well at Wigan and it’s a club that feels very like Kilmarnock when I was there. Everyone is close-knit and I’m really looking forward to the future,” he said. “And hopefully if I can be successful with Wigan that will mean I’m in a better position to help Northern Ireland because playing for my country means the world to me.” Jones had a double celebration in the summer with his first international goal against Malta following on from the birth of his son, Jesse. “I spoke to the manager before the summer games and explained when they came around my new son would only be a few weeks old,” he explained. “He was very understanding and agreed that I could be there for one of the games and I was absolutely delighted to score my first goal for Northern Ireland in the 3-0 win against Malta. “Being involved in that game was good ahead of this month and hopefully we can build on the momentum and go from strength to strength.”

IRISHFA.COM

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