Northern Ireland’s Women’s Under-17 team will face Malta and Luxembourg next week in stage two of the qualifiers for Women’s U17 Euro 2024.
WU17s boss Gail Redmond has chosen a 20-strong panel for the two games, which are being played in Malta.
First up for Northern Ireland is a game against the Maltese at the Centenary Stadium in Ta’Qali on Wednesday 21 February (10am start UK time).
Their second game in the three-team mini tournament is scheduled for Saturday 24 February at the same venue. The kick-off time for that game against Luxembourg is also 10am.
The WU17s were relegated to League B for phase two of the qualifiers after losing all three of their games in League A back in November.
They were up against England, Belgium and Hungary in the UEFA Women’s European Under-17 Championship 2023-24 Qualifying First Round (League A6), which was hosted by the Hungarians.
The WU17s squad bound for Malta features just two changes from the squad that competed in Hungary in the autumn.
New to the panel are defender Olivia Best, who plays for North Carolina Courage in the United States, and Larne Women midfielder Ella Parker.
The winners of six groups and the runner-up in League B with the best record against the teams finishing first and third in their group will be promoted to League A for round one of qualifiers in 2024-25.
Northern Ireland WU17s squad:
Goalkeepers - Abbie Smith (Crusaders Strikers), Zara Maguire (Lisburn Ladies).
Defenders – Ellen Hampton (Linfield Women), Niamh Hassan (Crusaders Strikers), Daisy Conway (Lisburn Rangers Ladies), Laura Dowey (Glentoran Women), Olivia Best (North Carolina Courage), Zoe Knox (Linfield Women).
Midfielders – Darcie McNeill and Mia Moore (both Crusaders Strikers), Clodagh Maguire and Rhianna Murphy (both Glentoran Women), Niamh Boothroyd (Sunderland Women), Ella Parker (Larne Women), Sophie Kelly-Bradley (Lisburn Rangers Ladies).
Forwards - Jessica McGuinness and Lucy Kelly (both Crusaders Strikers), Gracie Conway (both Lisburn Rangers Ladies), Bernie Ferreira (Unattached), Rhianna Breen (Linfield Women).
