Northern Ireland vs Bulgaria (15/10/2024)

NATIONAL FOOTBALL STADIUM AT WINDSOR PARK OFFICIAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME | 15/10/2024 | £5

UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE - GROUP C3 NORTHERN IRELAND V BULGARIA

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TEAMS

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

MICHAEL O’NEILL PATRICK NELSON

NORTHERN IRELAND SQUAD

SHEA CHARLES DID YOU KNOW? THE OPPONENTS

ISAAC PRICE

INTERNATIONAL RECORD

IRISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

PRESIDENT: CONRAD KIRKWOOD CHIEF EXECUTIVE: PATRICK NELSON ADVERTISING: IRISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PICTURES: PRESS EYE

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION BY IRISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION NATIONAL FOOTBALL STADIUM, DONEGALL AVE, BELFAST BT12 5LW

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS: DANNY LYNCH EDITOR: NIGEL TILSON

DESIGN: MADCOLOUR.COM PRINT: MADCOLOUR.COM

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE VIEWS IN THIS PROGRAMME DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF THE IRISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION.

IRISHFA.COM

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NORTHERN IRELAND GREEN & WHITE

BULGARIA WHITE, GREEN & RED

MANAGER M. O’NEILL

HEAD COACH I. ILIEV

L. SOUTHWOOD (BOLTON WANDERERS) P. CHARLES (SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY) C. PYM (MANSFIELD TOWN) P. McNAIR (WEST BROMWICH ALBION)*

D. MITOV (ABERDEEN) I. DYULGEROV (CSKA SOFIA) S. VUTSOV (SLAVIA SOFIA) V. ANTOV (CREMONESE (ITA)

J. LEWIS (SAO PAULO (BRA)** C. BROWN (OXFORD UNITED)

S. PETROV (SLASK WROCLAW (POL) A. PETKOV (SLASK WROCLAW (POL) F. NURNBERGER (DARMSTADT (GER) H. PETROV (CSKA SOFIA) I. TURITSOV (CSKA SOFIA) Z. ATANASOV (CHERNO MORE) V. POPOV (CHERNO MORE) G. KOSTADINOV (APOEL NICOSIA (CYP) I. GRUEV (LEEDS UNITED) F. KRASTEV (PEC ZWOLLE (NED) Z. DIMITROV (BODRUM (TUR) V. PANAYOTOV (CHERNO MORE) I. ILIEV (CSKA SOFIA) S. YUSEIN (KRUMOVGRAD) I. CHOCHEV (LUDOGORETS RAZGRAD) K. DESPODOV (PAOK (GRE) G. MINCHEV (ÜMRANIYESPOR (TUR) M. MINCHEV (CAYKUR RIZESPOR (TUR) A. KOLEV (LEVSKI SOFIA) S. IVANOV (ARDA) R. KIRILOV (CSKA 1948)

C. BRADLEY (LIVERPOOL) T. HUME (SUNDERLAND) B. SPENCER (HUDDERSFIELD TOWN) E. TOAL (BOLTON WANDERERS) K. BALMER (MOTHERWELL) G. SAVILLE (MILLWALL) J. THOMPSON (STOKE CITY) A. McCANN (PRESTON NORTH END) S. CHARLES (SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY)*** I. PRICE (STANDARD LIEGE) P. SMYTH (QUEENS PARK RANGERS) R. McCAUSLAND (RANGERS) E. GALBRAITH (LEYTON ORIENT) B. LYONS (KILMARNOCK) C. BOYD-MUNCE (ST MIRREN) J. MAGENNIS (EXETER CITY) D. CHARLES (BOLTON WANDERERS) C. MARSHALL (HUDDERSFIELD TOWN)**** J. REID (STEVENAGE) L. BONIS (ADO DEN HAAG (NED)

* ON LOAN FROM SAN DIEGO FC ** ON LOAN FROM NEWCASTLE UNITED *** ON LOAN FROM SOUTHAMPTON **** ON LOAN FROM WEST HAM UNITED

MATCH DAY OFFICIALS REFEREE : JÉRÔME BRISARD (FRA)

ASSISTANT REFEREE 1 : BENJAMIN PAGES (FRA) ASSISTANT REFEREE 2 : ALEXIS AUGER (FRA) 4TH OFFICIAL : MATHIEU VERNICE (FRA) VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE : ERIC WATTELLIER (FRA) ASSISTANT VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE : BASTIEN DECHEPY (FRA)

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NIR V BUL

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME Welcome to this evening’s UEFA Nations League game against Bulgaria.

A lot has happened since our last home fixture. Tommy Wright will have been delighted that his Under-21 team held a talented England team to a 0-0 draw at the Ballymena Showgrounds and then scored five against Azerbaijan. Hopefully this is a good sign for the future and some of his squad will bolster Michael O’Neill’s choices for the senior team. Everyone went to Plovdiv last month with a sense of optimism. Sadly we conceded in the first half and, despite a much stronger second half, we couldn’t find the vital goal to take a share of the spoils. I said in my last programme notes that games were likely to be won by a one-goal difference and there would be small margins. That certainly was the case in Bulgaria. Travelling fans will have been impressed by Plovdiv and the stadium was simple but impressive. I was disappointed that some fans had a poor experience after the game. I must thank our fans for the atmosphere that was created. It really adds so much, and I hope the Amalgamation’s endeavours to add volume to the Windsor roar will bear fruit. A special thanks must go to Craig Lutton. Despite sweltering heat in Plovdiv, his drumbeat proved to be the heartbeat of the fans on the way to the Stadion Hristo Botev and throughout the match. I was pleased to catch up with him for a chat and his enthusiasm is infectious. Regrettably, geopolitics robbed fans of the opportunity to lend their support as the team took on Belarus on Saturday.

It’s a stark reminder that the situation in Ukraine is far from over and I am sure that you will join me in hoping for a peaceful resolution. Ironically, the inability to play on home soil has proved to be no impediment to Belarus and they top the group. Nothing can be taken for granted in European football. I was reminded again of the adage that football is nothing without fans and the atmosphere in the ZTE Arena in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary, was surreal and somewhat reminiscent of Covid times. The scoreless draw against Belarus felt more like two points lost than a point won but there were so many positives. The team were impressive in the first half and created several chances. Pierce Charles made his debut alongside Shea to become the 23rd set of brothers to play for Northern Ireland. Lee Bonis also made his debut, reminding us that the Northern Ireland Football League is producing quality players. With only one point separating three teams at the top of the C3 group, both Northern Ireland and Bulgaria will be keen to take all three points tonight. Michael O’Neill’s squad has a more youthful feel these days, and I took great pleasure in seeing Conor Bradley wearing the captain’s armband against Belarus. There is a Bulgarian phrase “ Който се учи , той ще сполучи ” which translates as “a person who learns will succeed”. Our younger players are learning fast and will succeed. CONRAD KIRKWOOD PRESIDENT IRISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

IRISHFA.COM

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There were many positives to take from our game in Hungary on Saturday. I was pleased with a lot of things.

Yes, it was frustrating to come away from the game at the ZTE Arena with only a single point. However, I have to look at the bigger picture, and I feel the performance against Belarus represented another progressive step for the team. I thought our first half performance in particular was very good. We dominated the ball and created plenty of chances. We played some great football. Of course, we must learn to convert opportunities, but I can’t fault our build-up play and the players’ willingness to get on the ball and make things happen. Clearly we should have scored on more than one occasion but we did not manage to do that due to a combination of our profligacy in front of goal, the Belarusians riding their luck and their keeper making some excellent saves. We did create chances in the second half, but by that stage Belarus had adapted their game to disrupt our rhythm. And they were delighted to get out of the game with a draw. Their celebrations at the final whistle reflected that. I thought we never looked like conceding and the clean sheet in Hungary was another positive. I thought Pierce Charles did really well on his debut. He was calm and assured, and his distribution was first class. Lee Bonis also did well when he made his debut in the second half. He is, of course, new to international football but I feel he has attributes that could be beneficial to us going forward. Looking at tonight’s game, a win would give us seven points in League C Group 3. That may or may not take us to the top of the group depending on the result in the Belarus-Luxembourg game at the ZTE Arena in Zalaegerszeg tonight.

People will, of course, look at results, but I tend to delve a bit deeper than that. The most important thing for me is that we keep progressing as a team and I believe we are doing that. Bulgaria were aggressive and physical in Plovdiv last month and I expect more of the same from them in tonight’s game. Unlike Belarus, who are very much focused on the team collective, the Bulgarians have individuals who can hurt you, and we will have to keep an eye on them. Attacking midfielder Kiril Despodov is one such player. He is an excellent passer of the ball and he produces pinpoint crosses. His set-piece delivery is first class. However, we also have individual players who have the ability to put the opposition under pressure. I believe if we play as we did in the first half in Hungary then we will get the desired result tonight. It was surreal not having fans in the stadium on Saturday. Playing behind closed doors is certainly not an ideal situation. I have said many times before that the players are energised by the support of our fans. Not surprisingly, given the lack of atmosphere in Saturday’s game, they are looking forward to playing in front of a packed home stadium and I have no doubt you will cheer them on as only you can.

Enjoy the game! MICHAEL O’NEILL NORTHERN IRELAND MANAGER

IRISHFA.COM

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GOOD EVENING Welcome to the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park for this evening’s UEFA Nations League match against Bulgaria.

Following a narrow defeat to the same team in Plovdiv a month ago, and Saturday evening’s dominant but ultimately goalless draw against Belarus in Hungary, Michael’s side will be confident that they can take the points tonight and move closer to the top of the UNL League C Group 3 table. Saturday evening’s match was eerily reminiscent of the bad old days of Covid, given that UEFA have declared that for now Belarus will play their home fixtures behind closed doors in a neutral country. The 100 decibel pre anthem yell of ‘Green and White Army’ from our colleague Nigel Tilson was also a feature of those Covid days and it was shouted with a vengeance again in Zalaegerszeg. Clubs from five nations were represented in our matchday squad at the weekend, and at times we had players from teams based in England, Belgium, Brazil and the Netherlands on the field. Two of the unused substitutes against Belarus play for Scottish clubs and with Paddy McNair about to join the MLS it seems we are getting more of a cosmopolitan feel to the squad. This can only be a good thing as exposure to different cultures and playing styles enhances the experience and value our players can bring to the party and is to be encouraged. Our Technical Director Aaron Hughes and Director of Elite Development Andy Waterworth are keen that our young players look beyond the normal destinations of England and Scotland to further advance their professional careers and I’m sure the current trend of developing wider horizons will continue. With three games gone in this six-game mini league, there is still all to play for.

Since the UEFA Nations League began in 2018 we have not fared too well, however now is certainly the time to fix that. As well as the prospect of promotion to UNL League B next time round, the seedings for the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, which will be played throughout 2025, will be a direct result of Nations League performances. So there is every reason to get behind the team tonight and create that intimidating Belfast atmosphere to help the players make it two home wins from two. Tonight isn’t the only big European football night at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park this month, however. We welcome Larne to the big stage on Thursday 24 October when they take on Shamrock Rovers in their UEFA Europa Conference League group stage home opener, and we wish them good luck for that on behalf of the entire Northern Ireland football family. Also, on Tuesday 29 October, Tanya’s senior women’s team will play Croatia in the second leg of their play-off semi-final on the road to qualification for UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland. We are keen to get a big crowd in that night to help Tanya and the team get over the line and into the play-off final. Tickets are available and the squad very much look forward to having your support. Enjoy the match tonight!

PATRICK NELSON CHIEF EXECUTIVE IRISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

IRISHFA.COM

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NORTHERN IRELAND GREEN & WHITE

LUKE SOUTHWOOD

PIERCE CHARLES

CHRISTY PYM

PATRICK McNAIR

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

DEFENDER WEST BROMWICH ALBION

GOALKEEPER BOLTON WANDERERS

GOALKEEPER SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY

GOALKEEPER MANSFIELD TOWN

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

26

1

0

19

1

0

29

0

0

29

72

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ON LOAN FROM SAN DIEGO FC

JAMAL LEWIS

CIARON BROWN

KOFI BALMER

TRAI HUME

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

DEFENDER SAO PAULO (BRA)

DEFENDER OXFORD UNITED

DEFENDER SUNDERLAND

DEFENDER MOTHERWELL

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

26

39

0

26

21

0

22

16

0

24

0

0

ON LOAN FROM NEWCASTLE UNITED

BRODIE SPENCER

EOIN TOAL

CONOR BRADLEY

GEORGE SAVILLE

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

DEFENDER HUDDERSFIELD TOWN

DEFENDER BOLTON WANDERERS

MIDFIELDER LIVERPOOL

MIDFIELDER MILLWALL

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

20

10

0

25

7

0

21

20

3

31

54

0

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NIR V BUL

POS: CLUB: MIDFIELDER STOKE CITY JORDAN THOMPSON

ALISTAIR McCANN

SHEA CHARLES

ISAAC PRICE

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

MIDFIELDER PRESTON NORTH END

MIDFIELDER SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY

MIDFIELDER STANDARD LIEGE

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

21

15

2

27

38

0

24

25

1

20

20

0

ON LOAN FROM SOUTHAMPTON

PAUL SMYTH

POS: CLUB: MIDFIELDER RANGERS ROSS McCAUSLAND

ETHAN GALBRAITH

BRAD LYONS

POS: CLUB: MIDFIELDER ST MIRREN CAOLAN BOYD-MUNCE

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

MIDFIELDER QUEENS PARK RANGERS

MIDFIELDER KILMARNOCK

MIDFIELDER LEYTON ORIENT

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

27

13

2

21

5

0

23

3

0

27

1

0

24

1

0

LEE BONIS

JOSH MAGENNIS

DION CHARLES

CALLUM MARSHALL

JAMIE REID

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

POS: CLUB:

FORWARD EXETER CITY

FORWARD BOLTON WANDERERS

FORWARD ADO DEN HAAG (NED)

FORWARD HUDDERSFIELD TOWN

FORWARD STEVENAGE

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

AGE

CAPS GOALS

25

1

0

34

80

11

28

25

3

19

7

0

30

5

1

ON LOAN FROM WEST HAM UTD

IRISHFA.COM

9

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SHE SHEA CHARLES CHARLES WOULD LOVE A WINDSOR GOAL Shea Charles was sitting in the stands when he first experienced the atmosphere at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park – now he can’t get enough of it as a player for Northern Ireland. NIR V BUL

SQUAD NO: 19 \ NI APP: 19 CLUBS: MANCHESTER CITY 1, SOUTHAMPTON 32 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (LOAN) 6

PLACE OF BIRTH: MANCHESTER HEIGHT: 188CM WEIGHT: 71KG

DATE OF BIRTH: 05-11-2003

POSITION: MIDFIELDER

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HEA WORDS: MARK STERLING IRISHFA.COM 13

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SHEA CHARLES CHARLES WOULD LOVE A WINDSOR GOAL

Charles feels the Nations League will always hold a special place in his heart, given it was the competition he made his debut in, and also spoke of the pride he feels in playing for Northern Ireland and manager Michael O’Neill. “I love it (playing for Northern Ireland),” continued Charles, who has been enjoying his game time with Wednesday this season after a frustrating campaign with the Saints in the Championship last term. “I get on really well with the manager, all the coaches and all the players. It is a good young squad. We have been together for a while now and we all gel well. “I got my first taste of professional football playing for Northern Ireland and have been part of the team now for a few years. It is really special to come to every camp and be playing regularly in the games. It feels like yesterday that I played my first game. It really does fly by. “The manager is really good with me. We always talk about club football and when I come in I can feel the trust that he has in me to play me. I have won 19 caps now so obviously it is clear that he has a bit of trust in me.” And having played so many games, and been one of the most impressive performers in a green shirt in recent years, does Charles feel added responsibility despite still being only 20? He said: “I feel like everyone is starting to feel more responsible, especially now Jonny (Evans) has retired. Us younger lads have got to step up and be more responsible for ourselves and each other. “I feel like we know that and the manager and the coaches know that. It’s really important that we do take responsibility for ourselves.”

The 20-year-old Manchester-born midfielder may not have grown up dreaming about playing at the famous south Belfast stadium, but he relishes every opportunity he gets to appear in front of the vocal home supporters in international fixtures. “The Windsor Park atmosphere really is so, so special,” said the former Manchester City man, who is currently on a season-long loan in the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday from Southampton. “The first time I experienced it was while I was with the Under-21 squad and I was sitting in the stands during a game against Lithuania. I felt it, saw it and heard it. It was electric and then to play in it is unbelievable.” Having scored his first senior professional goal earlier this month – netting an injury time winner in a league game against Coventry – Charles now has his sets sight on finding the net in the home of the Green and White Army. He said: “I felt like it was about time that I got my first senior goal and it was a great time to get it as well, scoring the winner in the last minute away from home. I was really happy with that. “Scoring for Northern Ireland at Windsor Park is the next step for me. To do it in front of the fans there would be a dream. If I was to get a goal there in a competitive game it would be amazing.” Having made his debut against Greece in June 2022, Charles had won 19 international caps coming into this Nations League double header against Belarus in Hungary and Bulgaria in Belfast. His transition to international football has been seamless. Indeed he made his name with Northern Ireland before he had played at all for the Man City first team.

IRISHFA.COM

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DID YOU KNOW?

In late August Northern Ireland captain Jonny Evans announced his retirement from international football. The 36-year-old defender, who earned 107 senior caps, said it had been a privilege to play for his country for almost two decades. Here Marshall Gillespie charts his illustrious international career.

Evans made 43 appearances for his country during his two spells at Manchester United. He made a further four appearances for Northern Ireland during a loan stint at Sunderland and another 28 in his three years at West Bromwich Albion. His remaining 32 caps all came during his time with Leicester City.

Lawrie Sanchez gave Jonny Evans his senior debut aged just 18 years and 246 days in Northern Ireland’s now famous 3-2 win over Spain at Windsor Park on 6 September 2006. Evans had still not broken into the Manchester United first team and actually amassed seven senior caps before making his first appearance for the Red Devils in a League Cup tie against Coventry City on 26 September 2007. It was fitting that his final appearance for his country should be against the Spaniards in Majorca back in June.

Evans started 106 of his 107 games for Northern Ireland and was substituted in just 10 of them. He was only an unused substitute on one occasion, which was in a Nations League encounter in Austria in November 2020. His full record as a senior international reads: P W D L 107 34 26 47

In October 2018 younger brother Corry reached a half century of caps in a defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina, meaning the Evans’ became only the second set of brothers, after England’s Gary and Phil Neville, to make 50 or more international appearances for any of the Home Nations.

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NIR V BUL

Evans netted his first international goal for Northern Ireland in a 3-2 World Cup qualifying victory over Poland in Belfast in March 2009. He ended his international career with a total of six goals. The others were scored against Czech Republic (h) in September 2017, Belarus (h) in March 2019, the Czechs again in October 2019, Cyprus (h) in June 2022, with his final goal coming in a 4-2 Euro qualifying defeat to Slovenia in September 2023.

Evans played a total of 9307 minutes in his 107 appearances. The majority of those minutes were in Euro qualifying games, 3322, followed by 2700 minutes in World Cup qualifiers. He played 2160 in friendly matches and 1125 minutes in UEFA Nations League games. His total of minutes at senior level is the fourth highest in Northern Ireland history behind Steven Davis (11,749), Pat Jennings (10,478) and Aaron Hughes (9519).

Fifty-five of Jonny’s 107 appearances for Northern Ireland were at the National Football Stadium/Windsor Park. Forty-seven were on opponents’ grounds and five were at neutral venues.

Jonny was also capped at U21 level for Northern Ireland, the last of his three appearances coming in a 3-2 defeat to Germany which was just five days before he made his debut for the senior team against Spain in Belfast. He also clocked up eight appearances for the Under-17 team, scoring once in a 2-1 ECQ defeat to the Republic of Ireland in Solihull.

Eighty of Evans’ 107 caps for Northern Ireland were won in competitive matches. He appeared in 37 Euro qualifying and finals games and 30 World Cup qualifiers, while he earned another 13 caps in the Nations League. The remaining

27 appearances were in international friendlies.

Earlier this month he played his 400th game in English football and capped a memorable day by winning the man-of-the match award in Manchester United’s scoreless Premier League draw against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Jonny captained his country in a total of 13 internationals. He first donned the armband in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Scotland at Hampden Park in March 2015 and his final game wearing it came in the 5-1 defeat to Spain in June.

IRISHFA.COM

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ROY CARROLL’S BEST XI

Andy Greeves invites former Northern Ireland internationals to choose their best 11. The line-up can include players past and present and not necessarily former team-mates. Here Roy Carroll chooses his squad…

GK – FABIEN BARTHEZ I was in squads with some great goalkeepers… Tim Howard, Shaka Hislop, Rob Green, Maik Taylor, Allan McGregor to name but a few. The most decorated goalkeeper I was ever in a squad with was Fabien Barthez, a world and European champion with France, so I’ll put him in as my number one. LB – DENIS IRWIN Denis was ‘Mr Consistency’ during his career. He was a brilliant defender and also a player who scored goals from free-kicks and penalties. He was always very calm under pressure. CB – JONNY EVANS Jonny would be on the left of my centre-back pairing. Jonny has had an incredible career for club and country. He came through as a youngster during my time with Northern Ireland and it was incredible seeing his calmness at a young age. The fact he is still playing at the top level for Manchester United at the age of 36 says it all. CB – RIO FERDINAND Rio incapsulated the ‘new’ style of centre-back that came on the scene during my career. He was so comfortable on the ball. He had so much speed and a great understanding of the game. He was a true athlete. RB – GARY NEVILLE Gary is an obvious inclusion for me. He was one of the best right-backs of his generation who had such a long career at Manchester United and played under various managers for England. LM – RYAN GIGGS Ryan Giggs is obviously a Premier League legend and he gets my nod on the left side. The selection of my two wingers was probably the toughest call of all for this team because I really wanted to start Keith Gillespie, but it’s hard to leave out a pairing of Giggs and Beckham.

CM – PAUL SCHOLES I don’t think anyone who has played with Paul Scholes could leave him out of a team like this. He was one of the best midfielders in the world

without any doubt. CM – STEVEN DAVIS

I would have loved to put Roy Keane into this team. A phenomenal player who demanded the best every time you went on to the field. But having played with him so often at international level, I’m going to choose Steven Davis. I honestly believe if he had a Spanish or an Italian surname so many more people would rave about him. RM – DAVID BECKHAM Cristiano Ronaldo started out as a right winger at Manchester United but I’m going to play him upfront to accommodate David Beckham. We all know the qualities Becks had, his range of passing, his crossing, his free-kick technique etc. FW – CRISTIANO RONALDO Ronaldo came to Manchester United as a young man. He learned to adapt to the Premier League and life in a new country so quickly. He is a wonderful professional, so dedicated to his training and living the right way off the pitch. FW – RUUD VAN NISTELROOY Ruud was an out and out goalscorer. Again he was one of those players who came to Manchester United and just hit the ground running. SUBS AARON HUGHES – Aaron was a great player and he could play a number of positions, too. JAAP STAM – I was fortunate to have Jaap in front of me at Manchester United for a short while. DAVID HEALY – David has to be in there for all the goals he scored for Northern Ireland. ROY KEANE – It sounds strange to name Roy Keane as a substitute. He’s the perfect captain. KEITH GILLESPIE – He was a such a good player for Northern Ireland during my international career.

IRISHFA.COM

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WORDS: William Campbell

MYSTERY, INTRIGUE AND ROSES

GARETH McAULEY HEADS HOME THAT GOAL IN LYON - FROM A SET PIECE PERFECTLY EXECUTED BY OLIVER NORWOOD.

We live in a world full of intriguing mystery and unanswered questions.

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In 1981 it was a Jimmy Nicholl free-kick against Israel that resulted in a Billy Hamilton knockdown for Gerry Armstrong to bury the ball in the Spion Kop net and earn our passage to Spain and the 1982 World Cup Finals. Fast forward to 2006 and our famous victory over Spain and the David Healy hat-trick. The second of those memorable goals came from a Sammy Clingan free-kick and a move obviously honed on the training ground. With a clatter of big men in the goal area distracting the Spanish defenders, Clingan rolls the free-kick (which was just outside the penalty area on the North Stand side) into a space at the edge of the box to where Healy has made a perfect blindside run and meets the ball with an unstoppable shot. Pick that one out Mr Casillas! Austin MacPhee (now with Aston Villa and up until recently also with Scotland) was our set piece guru in France in 2016, so it’s only right we give him a callout, but our greatest acclamation should go to Oliver Norwood and Gareth McAuley for superb delivery and perfect execution in the rain in Lyon on that memorable June evening. Every Northern Ireland goal, whether a screamer, scuffed shot, ricochet, penalty or own goal (was there ever a better goal than the famous Artur Boric error in 2009?), is rightly celebrated and mythologised, but in all my years watching the wee team in green few will have generated as much emotion as that classic in Lyon. Maybe I’m exaggerating the challenges. Maybe for a good set piece all you do need is a good delivery and good execution? Long may the mystery continue. Mr Jover at the Emirates will, of course, call it as his expertise, but I wonder if he knows who places the rose on Edith Piaf’s grave.

What actually does happen in the Bermuda Triangle? Does the Yeti/Big Foot actually exist? Who was Jack the Ripper? Was it the Titanic or its sister ship the Olympic which perished in April 1912? What happened to the Marie Celeste? Why does toast always fall buttered side down? Who places the fresh red rose on Edith Piaf’s grave in Paris every day? In footballing terms perhaps we need to ask how we can unravel the mystery of the set piece. Arsenal have recently been the pacesetters when it comes to set pieces. Their set piece coach Nicholas Jover is credited with making Arsenal the gold standard for free-kicks and corners, with the Gunners scoring 24 times from such situations in the 2023-24 season, and they are carrying this on into the current season. Of course such success is a combination of tactical plans and having players who have bought into the concept and are prepared to practice, practice and practice some more. Sitting in the stands it is easy to criticise when set piece deliveries are over hit or under hit, are played to the opponent or they (and players are responsible for this) are just badly taken or the wrong decision is made. Successful set pieces, when boiled down to the basics, need a good delivery and a player on the end of the delivery with a clear plan and skilful execution. Northern Ireland fans have been advocates of the ‘set piece mystery’ for years. We can recall (often with a grimace) the hands in the air and the running over the ball to let a second player launch the free-kick into the opposition penalty area where, with almost robotic inevitability, our centre forward (in the days before false nines) would probably be penalised. That was not always the case, however, and some memorable goals have resulted from free-kicks and corners.

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WORDS: IAN PARKER

THE COACH: BULGARIA

Ilian Iliev is not a man who likes to allow himself too many weekends off. When he took the Bulgaria job in November 2023 he stayed on as boss of club side Cherno More. And he continues to juggle both roles, managing the club where he both started and finished his playing career and the country for which he earned 35 caps. But the 56-year-old is making it work. Cherno More sit fifth in the Bulgarian First League standings having lost only two of their opening 11 games of the season, while Iliev is unbeaten in his eight games in charge of the national team. As a youngster he was a talented wrestler but focused on football and came through the ranks with his hometown club in the city of Varna, a seaside resort on the banks of the Black Sea. After three seasons in the first team, Iliev joined Levski Sofia where he was a three-time Bulgarian league winner and two-time Bulgarian Cup winner. The midfielder’s performances caught the eye of clubs abroad, and in 1995 he signed for Portuguese giants Benfica, winning the Portuguese Cup with them in his first season. Iliev made his international debut against Turkey in 1991, the start of an eight-year Bulgaria career which reached its pinnacle at the 1998 World Cup, where he played in all three of his country’s games.

His playing career also included spells with Bursaspor in Turkey, Greek side AEK Athens and Maritimo in Portugal before he returned to Cherno More prior to retirement in 2004. He quickly moved into management, again with his hometown club, before moving to Beroe in 2006 - the first of two spells either side of a stint as assistant with the national team - and won the Bulgarian Cup with the club in 2010. A colourful coaching career has subsequently included jobs in Kazakhstan and Angola, but the call of Cherno More was answered once again in 2017 and he has been with the Sailors since. After Mladen Kerstaich was shown the door as Bulgaria coach in November 2023 following a poor run in Euro 2024 qualifying, Iliev was the pick, signing a contract which runs until the summer of 2026 while agreeing to stay on with Cherno More. Iliev took the job promising to allow the players more freedom to express themselves and results quickly improved, with a side that had taken only two points from six games drawing their final two Euro 2024 qualifiers against Serbia and Hungary. That was the start of a run which saw them win two and draw six of their first eight under Iliev’s management - including the 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in Plovdiv last month.

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THE SQUAD: BULGARIA

WORDS: IAN PARKER

DIMITAR MITOV GOALKEEPER ABERDEEN

IVAN DYULGEROV GOALKEEPER CSKA SOFIA AGE 25 CAPS 6 GOALS 0 Dyulgerov knows his international manager well, having broken through at Cherno More and played for Iliev’s team until this summer, when he left to join CSKA Sofia. He has played for Bulgaria at several age levels.

SVETOSLAV VUTSOV GOALKEEPER SLAVIA SOFIA

AGE 27 CAPS 5 GOALS 0 Though born and raised in

AGE 22 CAPS 6 GOALS 0 The youngest of Bulgaria’s goalkeepers comes from a footballing family. His grandfather Ivan Vutsov played for Bulgaria at the 1966 World Cup, and his mother Svetlana, father Velislav and brother Petar have all played professional football.

Bulgaria, Mitov has spent his entire professional career in Britain, joining Charlton as a teenager, then spending six seasons with Cambridge United before moving to St Johnstone in 2023 and on to Aberdeen this summer.

VALENTIN ANTOV DEFENDER CREMONESE (ITA)

SIMEON PETROV DEFENDER SLASK WROCLAW (POL) AGE 24 CAPS 6 GOALS 0

ALEKS PETKOV DEFENDER SLASK WROCLAW (POL) AGE 25 CAPS 12 GOALS 0

AGE 23 CAPS 28 GOALS 1 Antov became the youngest player to ever turn out for CSKA Sofia when he made his debut at 14 years, nine months and 10 days in a Bulgaria Cup match in 2015. He later earned a move to Serie A side Bologna on loan, then joined Serie B team Monza. After Monza’s promotion, he has moved on loan to Cremonese. FABIAN NURNBERGER DEFENDER DARMSTADT (GER) AGE 25 CAPS 2 GOALS 0 Born in Hamburg, Nurnberger has spent his entire club career in Germany, first with FC Nürnberg before joining Darmstadt in 2023. He is eligible to play for Bulgaria through his mother. He made his international debut last month in the 0-0 draw with Belarus before facing Northern Ireland in his second appearance. AGE 33 CAPS 8 GOALS 0 The son of former Olympic hurdler Yordanka Donkova, Atanasov provides a veteran presence in the Bulgaria squad despite only having a handful of caps to his name. Now in his second spell with Cherno More, Atanasov has also had two stints with Levski Sofia. And he spent several years playing in Italy for Juve Stabia, Viterbese and Catanzaro. ZHIVKO ATANASOV DEFENDER CHERNO MORE

Born in Limoges, Petrov began his career in France but moved to his parents’ home country in 2019 when he signed for Strumska Slavia, joining top flight side CSKA 1948 a year later. He joined Polish side Slask Wroclaw initially on loan in January this year before making the move permanent in the summer.

The Slask Wroclaw captain will be familiar to fans of Scottish football, having joined Hearts as a teenager and playing for them in the Scottish League Cup before loan spells at Berwick Rangers, Clyde and Brechin City. He moved back to Bulgaria in 2020 with Levski Sofia and joined his current club last summer.

HRISTIYAN PETROV DEFENDER CSKA SOFIA AGE 22 CAPS 4 GOALS 0

IVAN TURITSOV DEFENDER CSKA SOFIA

AGE 25 CAPS 19 GOALS 0 Like Petrov, Turitsov broke through at CSKA with the help of a loan spell with Litex Lovech. He made his debut for Bulgaria’s Under-21s against Northern Ireland in March 2019 before his first senior cap came with a 1-0 friendly defeat to Belarus in February the following year. GEORGI KOSTADINOV MIDFIELDER APOEL NICOSIA (CYP) AGE 34 CAPS 42 GOALS 3 Veteran midfielder Kostadinov was a two-time Bulgarian champion early in his career with now perennial winners Ludogorets Razgrad before spells with Beroe and Levski Sofia, but more recently has played his football elsewhere, joining Israeli club Maccabi Haifa in 2017 before time with Russia’s Arsenal Tuda and, since 2022, APOEL in Cyprus.

The Plovdiv-born Petrov caught the eye of CSKA as a youngster and joined their academy as a teenager, spending time on loan at Litex Lovech before breaking through with CSKA’s first team. In 2022 he made his debut in the Europa Conference League against Irish opposition, playing in the 1-0 defeat to St Patrick’s Athletic. VIKTOR POPOV DEFENDER CHERNO MORE AGE 24 CAPS 17 GOALS 0 A one-club man to date, Popov joined the academy of his hometown club Cherno More as a youngster and made his senior debut as a teenager in May 2019. Later that same year came international recognition as he earned his first cap in a 1-0 friendly loss to Paraguay.

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ILIA GRUEV MIDFIELDER LEEDS UNITED

ILIAN ILIEV MIDFIELDER CSKA SOFIA AGE 25 CAPS 16 GOALS 0 The manager’s son was born in Portugal while his father was playing for Maritimo but, like his dad, came through the ranks at Cherno More. His still young career has included spells in Portugal and Cyprus, but he signed for CSKA this summer. He made his international debut in March 2021. FILIP KRASTEV MIDFIELDER PEC ZWOLLE (NED) AGE 22 CAPS 18 GOALS 1 A product of the Slavia Sofia academy, in 2020 Krastev joined Belgian club Lommel - part of the City Football Group. That has led to a series of loans that have taken him to France with Troyes, the Netherlands with Cambuur, back to Bulgaria with Levski Sofia, and the United States with Los Angeles FC before he joined Dutch club PEC Zwolle in January this year. KIRIL DESPODOV FORWARD PAOK (GRE) AGE 27 CAPS 51 GOALS 15 Bulgaria’s captain and match-winner from the game against Northern Ireland in Plovdiv last month is a four time national champion with Ludogorets, having joined them in 2021 following spells with Italy’s Cagliari and Sturm Graz in Austria. Last summer he joined Greek Super League club PAOK and was a league winner in his first season.

ZDRAVKO DIMITROV MIDFIELDER BODRUM (TUR) AGE 26 CAPS 2 GOALS 0

AGE 24 CAPS 18 GOALS 0 The son of former Bulgaria

Left-winger Dimitrov was yet another member of this squad to have made his U21s debut against Northern Ireland back in 2019, receiving his first senior cap a year later when he came on as a substitute in a 3-0 friendly win over Gibraltar.

international Iliya Gruev, the Leeds midfielder spent much of his childhood in Germany and joined Werder Bremen in 2015, advancing through their academy to become a first team regular. He joined Leeds in August 2023 and, although he initially struggled to adapt, has become a key part of their midfield since the turn of the year.

VASIL PANAYOTOV MIDFIELDER CHERNO MORE AGE 34 CAPS 3 GOALS 0

SERKAN YUSEIN MIDFIELDER KRUMOVGRAD AGE 28 CAPS 2 GOALS 0 Defensive midfielder

A late starter in international football, Panayotov has played for Cherno More since 2018. Prior to that he was a bit of a journeyman, playing for nine different clubs, one of them twice, in the previous 10 years. He made his international debut aged 29 in a 3-1 friendly loss to the Republic of Ireland in 2019.

Yusein received his first international call-up back in 2020 but had to wait until June of this year to make his debut, featuring in a 0-0 friendly draw with Romania. He was Bulgarian champion with Ludogorets in the 2018/19 season.

IVAYLO CHOCHEV MIDFIELDER LUDOGORETS RAZGRAD AGE 31 CAPS 44 GOALS 4

GEORGI MINCHEV FORWARD ÜMRANIYESPOR (TUR)

AGE 29 CAPS 11 GOALS 1 Minchev has been a regular scorer in a club career which has seen him play for a number of clubs in Bulgaria, in Latvia with Riga and in Cyprus with AEL Limassol. He joined Turkish club Ümraniyespor this summer.

Among the most experienced players in the Bulgaria squad, Chochev joined then Serie A side Palermo in 2014 and made 120 appearances for the Sicilian club across five seasons before moving to Pescara then back to Bulgaria with CSKA 1948 and reigning champions Ludogorets.

MARTIN MINCHEV FORWARD CAYKUR RIZESPOR (TUR) AGE 23 CAPS 20 GOALS 0

ALEKS KOLEV FORWARD LEVSKI SOFIA AGE 31 CAPS 8 GOALS 0

STANISLAV IVANOV FORWARD ARDA AGE 25 CAPS 5 GOALS 0

RADOSLAV KIRILOV FORWARD CSKA 1948

AGE 32 CAPS 16 GOALS 2 Kirilov spent much of his

Minchev became the youngest player to turn out for Cherno More when he made his debut as a substitute one day after his 16th birthday in 2017. After establishing himself in the first team, Minchev moved to the Czech Republic with Sparta Prague in 2020 and in 2023 headed to Turkey.

Kolev first broke through in Belgian football having moved to the country as a teenager, but after spells with Dessel Sport and ASV Geel he signed for Botev Plovdiv in 2014. A varied career has followed, much of it spent in Poland. A late starter in international football, he made his debut last November.

Winger Ivanov came through the ranks with Levski Sofia before upping sticks for the United States in 2021, signing

childhood in Italy and played for more than half a dozen clubs there in a varied start to his professional career. It was with Slavia Sofia that he found a more permanent home when signing in 2019, making more than 100 appearances before joining CSKA 1948 in 2022.

for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. After two

seasons there, he moved back to Bulgaria with Arda in 2023. He made his international debut in October 2023.

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FACT FILE: BULGARIA

WORDS: IAN PARKER

• Bulgaria made their first appearance at a European Championships in 1996, but they failed to make it out of a group that also included France, Spain and Romania. • Despite the talents of players such as Martin Petrov and Dimitar Berbatov, Bulgaria have struggled when it comes to the Euros over the last couple of decades, eliminated at the group stage of the tournament in 2004, 2008 and 2012 and failing to qualify in 2016, 2020 and 2024. • Former Aston Villa and Celtic midfielder Stylian Petrov remains the most capped player in Bulgaria’s history, making 105 appearances between 1998 and 2011. • Ex-Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United forward Berbatov is joint top of their scoring charts, having bagged 48 goals in 78 appearances between 1999 and 2010, putting him level with Hristo Bonev who scored 48 in 96 between 1967 and 1979. • This will be the 11th meeting between Northern Ireland and Bulgaria, with Northern Ireland winning two, drawing two and losing the other six. • The first meeting was a World Cup qualifier back in October 1972 in Sofia. Unfortunately George Best saw red in a 3-0 Bulgaria win and two of the goals came from the penalty spot. • The following year the two sides met again, with the game being played at Hillsborough in Sheffield as Northern Ireland continually played away from Belfast at the height of The Troubles. It finished as a goalless draw. • Northern Ireland got their first win over Bulgaria in September 1978, winning 2-0 in Sofia with Gerry Armstrong and Billy Caskey on the scoresheet. • It was 2-0 in Northern Ireland’s favour again

INTERNATIONAL • Bulgaria reached the final of the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, scoring first but losing 4-1 to Hungary at the Azteca Stadium. • They have played in seven World Cup tournaments, making their first appearance in 1962, but they have not qualified since 1998. • In their first appearance at a World Cup finals, in 1962 in Chile, Bulgaria were handed a tough group draw against England, Argentina and Hungary. After losing 1-0 to Argentina and 6-1 to Hungary their hopes were immediately over but they registered an impressive goalless draw against England before going home. • Their draw in 1966 was no kinder as they faced Hungary, Portugal and Pele’s Brazil. • The 1994 World Cup remains the high watermark for Bulgaria to date. • Led by a ‘golden generation’ of players that included Hristo Stoichkov, Yordan Lechkov and Krasimir Balakov, Dimitar Penev’s side recovered from an opening 3-0 defeat to Nigeria to beat Greece 4-0 and then shock Argentina 2-0 and advance to the knock-out stages. • After beating Mexico on penalties, Bulgaria pulled off another shock in the quarter finals with a 2-1 win over defending champions Germany. However, they then lost 2-1 to Italy in the semi-finals before losing the third-place play-off 4-0 to Sweden. • Barcelona’s Stoichkov shared the golden boot with Russia’s Oleg Salenko and ended the year as the Ballon d’Or winner. • Bulgaria’s exploits in the United States saw them reach as high as eighth in FIFA’s world rankings in 1995, although they had sunk as low as 96th by 2012.

the following May at Windsor Park. Chris Nicholl and Armstrong settled the game before half-time.

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DOMESTIC

• Sadly for Northern Ireland, there has not been a win over Bulgaria since. The two sides did not meet again for 22 years, with Sammy McIlroy’s side losing 4-3 in a World Cup qualifier in Sofia in 2001. A young Martin Petrov, later to join Manchester City, scored twice. • The next two games were both 1-0 home defeats for Northern Ireland - a World Cup qualifier in September 2001 and a friendly in February 2008. • When Bulgaria came to Windsor Park in March 2021 for a World Cup qualifier it was played behind closed doors amid the Covid pandemic and finished in a goalless draw, with Steven Davis breaking the British caps record as he earned his 126th cap. • The reverse fixture ended in a 2-1 defeat for Northern Ireland, with Todor Nedelev’s second half double ending any faint hopes of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.

• Bulgaria’s top flight is the First Professional Football League, more commonly known as the Parva Liga or Bulgarian First League, and is contested by 16 clubs. • The country’s first championship was established in 1924, but for many years was contested as a knock-out tournament and later as a round-robin. A league format has been used since 1948, although change has been a constant. • The modern-day version of the league was inaugurated in 2000, initially with 14 clubs, expanding to 16 for the 2022-23 season. • CSKA Sofia have a record 31 titles, putting them ahead of city rivals Levski Sofia’s 26. • Teams based in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, have claimed 70 titles between them. • However, Ludogorets Razgrad have emerged as the dominant force in recent years, and have won 13 straight titles, starting with their maiden season in the top flight in 2011-12. • CSKA have twice reached the semi-finals of the European Cup, most recently in 1982.

NORTHERN IRELAND LOST 1-0 AGAINST BULGARIA IN LEAGUE C GROUP 3 IN THE UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE LAST MONTH. THE GAME WAS PLAYED IN PLOVDIV

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SCOUTING REPORT

Bulgaria play with a relatively high defensive line and look to defend from the front. Their pressing approach was demonstrated against Northern Ireland last month when Aleksandar Kolev swiftly closed down Daniel Ballard as he looked to receive a pass from Bailey Peacock-Farrell. Kolev subsequently won possession and squared the ball to Kiril Despodov to score what turned out to be the winning goal. STRENGTHS Bulgaria are well organised defensively and had kept four clean sheets in their previous six matches prior to hosting Luxembourg on Saturday. Central defenders Zhivko Atanasov and Aleks Petkov are both commanding presences at the back, each standing at 6ft 3in tall. Speaking after the defeat in Plovdiv, Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill said of Bulgaria; “We knew it would be a tough game against a team we know have a lot of physicality, a lot of power in their team.” In terms of attacking threat, Bulgaria’s star man is captain Kiril Despodov. Voted Bulgarian Footballer of the Year in 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023, the Kresna-born winger is a wonderful technician who is comfortable running with the ball at his feet, crossing and also making late runs into the opposition penalty area to score. A set-piece specialist, Despodov takes Bulgaria’s corners and free-kicks within goal range. He scored a free-kick for the national team against Tanzania in March and struck a similar effort against Northern Ireland’s woodwork when the two teams met in Plovdiv. POSSIBLE LINE-UP GK Dimitar Mitov LB Fabian Nürnberger CB Zhivko Atanasov CB Aleks Petkov RB Viktor Popov DM Georgi Kostadinov DM Ivaylo Chochev AML Martin Minchev AMC Radoslav Kirilov AMR Kiril Despodov FW Aleksandar Kolev

Andy Greeves takes a closer look at Bulgaria ahead of this evening’s UEFA Nations League game in Belfast. LOWDOWN Ilian Iliev’s Bulgaria went into their match with Luxembourg on Saturday with four points on the board after their opening two UEFA Nations League Group C3 matches. After a goalless draw in Belarus, they achieved a 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland in Plovdiv last month. Bulgaria are currently ranked 81st in the world – a far cry from the 1990s when their excellent tournament showings saw them peak in eighth position in the rankings in June 1995. With star players such as Hristo Stoichkov, Emil Kostadinov and Yordan Letchkov, the Lions reached the semi-finals of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, while the nation also qualified for UEFA Euro 1996 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup during the decade. Bulgaria have only made it to one major tournament since - UEFA Euro 2004. The man charged with reviving Bulgaria’s footballing fortunes is Ilian Iliev, who was appointed as national team manager in November 2023. Interestingly Iliev - who was in Bulgaria’s playing squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup - combines this role with his managerial job at his hometown team Cherno More. TACTICS Iliev’s Bulgaria side typically line up in a 4-2 3-1 formation. Wide players such as Martin Minchev and Kiril Despodov look to join the Lions’ attacking moves and their formation appears more like a 4-3-3 when they are advancing up the field.

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