Tuesday 24 Oct 2023

WATCH LIVE | Northern Ireland WU19s v France WU19s

Northern Ireland Women’s U19s’ match against France WU19s tomorrow (25 October) is set to be streamed live on Northern Ireland’s YouTube channel.

The game at Stade Jean Verbeke in Montauban is due to kick off at 3pm and sees the two sides go head to head in League A in the first round of qualifiers for the UEFA WU19 Euros 2024.

It’s new boss Gail Redmond’s first competitive match in charge of the WU19s since she was appointed in April.

Commentary for this one comes from Joel Neill and Northern Ireland women’s team centurion Julie Nelson.

The WU19s will be back in action again on Saturday against Italy at the same venue at noon.

And it’s back to the Stade Jean Verbeke next Tuesday for their final Group A1 match against Hungary (4pm kick-off).

The squad

Goalkeepers: Erin McAllister (Linfield Ladies), Kate Smith (Larne Ladies).

Defenders: Sofie Keenan and Abi Sweetlove (both Linfield Ladies), Sarah Tweedie (Glentoran Women, main image), Orleigha McGuinness (Cliftonville Ladies), Niamh O’Donnell (Mid-Ulster Ladies), Faye Loughran (Lisburn Rangers Ladies), Mikayla Wildgoose (Burnley Ladies).

Midfielders: Rhyleigh Marks and Sophie Gargan (both Linfield Ladies), Megan Neill and Maeve McConaghy (both Glentoran Women), Aoibhe O’Neill (Sion Swifts Ladies), Tara Reilly (Cliftonville Ladies), Aimee Kerr (Ballyclare Comrades Ladies).

Forwards: Rachel McIntyre and Kascie Weir (both Glentoran Women), Keri Halliday (Linfield Ladies), Naomi McLaughlin-Gallagher (Sion Swifts Ladies).

The boss

Gail Redmond has been coaching for more than 20 years and was previously involved with the Northern Ireland senior women’s team as an assistant coach.

She has been coaching Northern Ireland Football League Women’s Premiership side Glentoran Women since 2018 and is also a former player with the east Belfast club. As a player and coach at the Glens she won 22 trophies over a 12-year period.

Redmond first played for the Northern Ireland senior women’s team in 1996 before she left for the USA a year later to play for Mississippi Fire, the University of Southern Mississippi women’s soccer team.

She was assistant-player coach and then player-head coach for the Fire from 2002 until 2008, and between 2004 and 2007 she again played for and captained the Northern Ireland senior women’s team.

In 2008 she returned to Northern Ireland and joined Glentoran Women as a player, winning three league titles and four Irish Cups over an eight-year period. 

Between 2009 and 2014 she was assistant coach with the Northern Ireland senior women’s team and the Women’s Under-19 side.

She was head coach with the Northern Ireland U15 Schoolgirls’ team in 2015-16 before joining Glentoran Women as coach in 2018.

Redmond was awarded an MBE for services to association football last year and gained her UEFA Pro Licence in 2019. 

WATCH | Sarah Tweedie and Keri Halliday