Interviewing a very happy matchwinner Lauren Wade for UTV
EXPLODING fireworks filled the air surrounding Windsor Park before Northern Ireland’s huge play off second leg tie with Croatia, nothing out of the ordinary in the lead up to Halloween.
But at 6:50pm Simone Magill must have felt like those pyrotechnics were going off inside the stadium as she led her beloved country out for the first time as the new permanent captain. And the walk out was made extra special by having her niece, Lexi, by her side as mascot.
You couldn’t have found a prouder person in all of Northern Ireland but in typical Magill fashion, the 29-year-old remained as focused and professional as ever, knowing she had an important job to do.
The news of her appointment came to light a week earlier but she was told by manager Tanya Oxtoby two months before that.
When I interviewed her for UTV, I asked her how hard it was to keep that secret. She laughed and said she was able to tell her family so at least she could enjoy the special moment with them.
Not surprisingly, predecessor Marissa Callaghan was one of the first people to text her when the news broke.
After eight years and 52 games as captain, Callaghan stepped aside in May of this year to allow the next generation to come through. Callaghan guided Northern Ireland through some of the toughest times before experiencing the euphoria of the Euro finals in 2022.
The fact Marissa was one of the first to congratulate Simone on taking over the armband speaks volumes of the person she is, especially after being left out of the most recent squad.
Having had her own struggles over the last year with the tragic death of her nephew Ryan, Marissa wasn’t sure if she would even be able to play this season. But with the help of her team mates and her family she played on and got back to feeling herself which was invaluable for Cliftonville as they went to win a first ever treble.
Their stunning season resulted in the team being labelled ‘The Invincibles’ following their stunning success in lifting the Premier League title, the League Cup and Irish Cup. To make it even more special, the team won a remarkable 16 games out of 16 on their way to winning the Sports Direct Premiership.
Whether we see Marissa in a green shirt again is uncertain but she will always be an inspiration to those still playing in the jersey and those yet to don one.
Simone celebrates win
Simone admits herself that she has “big shoes to fill” but anyone who knows the Magherafelt native will agree she is the right fit for the armband.
Magill captained Northern Ireland at under 17 and under 19 level so taking the senior armband seems like a natural progression.
She made her senior international debut against Scotland in 2010 as a 15 year old and has gone on to play 87 times, scoring 25 goals along the way. Speaking of age, her appointment as captain was the perfect early birthday present for her 30th on November 1.
Magill insists playing for Northern Ireland for almost half of her life has shaped who she is today.
She has been one of the trailblazers for the team, making the move to England at just 18 to play for Everton in the WSL. After almost a decade there, learning at the top level of the women’s professional game, she moved to Aston Villa for two seasons before joining current team, Birmingham, in the summer.
Magill wrote herself into the history books in 2016 when she scored the fastest goal at women’s international level in a European qualifier against Georgia after just 11 seconds, beating the previous record held by US forward Alex Morgan.
Magill has been a big player for Northern Ireland on and off the pitch and that was perhaps most evident when she got injured during their first match at their first ever major tournament, Euro 2022. Magill suffered an awful cruciate ligament injury, the type that affects so many female athletes, during their opening game in Southampton against Norway. Instead of going back to her club for treatment, the team wanted her to stay on in Southampton for the rest of their time at the tournament.
Her team mate Rachel Furness even held up a shirt with Magill’s name on the back during the line up for their second Euro game, which was against Austria, to show how important she still was to the squad despite not being able to play.
It’s been quite the journey for the Northern Ireland striker. She started out playing in men’s kits that were far too big because the women didn’t have their own fitted kits back then; she moved away from home at a young age to pursue her dream of being a professional footballer; became a history maker with the Northern Ireland team who made it to the Euros for the first time and quickly had her chance snatched away when she suffered that injury during the first game. What followed were dark days recovering from one of the most cruel injuries in sport.
But as she fulfilled a lifetime dream, leading her country out at Windsor Park for such a huge game – the blood, sweat and tears were all worth it. She almost scored in the first few minutes of the game, but in her own words afterwards to me, “that would’ve been too perfect, wouldn’t it?”
Lauren Wade turned out to be the goal hero in extra time with a worldie five minutes before penalties would have decided the winner… 120 minutes now lies between Northern Ireland and back to back European Championship finals with another play-off looming against Norway, of all teams.
As Simone gave generously of her time after the match to sign signatures and snap selfies with hundreds of adoring fans, the next Simone Magill could well be smiling alongside her in one of those pictures as the new Northern Ireland captain will inspire the next generation even more so now with her enhanced skipper status.
Northern Ireland team which defeated Croatia in Euro 2025 play-off
Victory celebrations
The fans stayed for an hour after the final whistle to get autographs and pictures with their heroes
Back in the early days for Simone and Laura Rafferty when oversized men’s kits were the norm for the NI women’s team
