Centurion Sarah McFadden returns to Northern Ireland Women’s Nations League play-off squad

Northern Ireland Women have named their squad for the upcoming UEFA Women’s Nations League play-off against Iceland, with several changes made by Tanya Oxtoby

Sarah McFadden, the centurion, has been recalled to the Northern Ireland senior women’s squad for the forthcoming UEFA Women’s Nations League play-off against Iceland.

McFadden, who boasts 106 caps and nine goals for her country, last featured in a Nations League match against Montenegro in February 2024.

Since then, she has overcome a long-term injury and welcomed her second child. The 38-year-old defender resumed full-time training and playing with her club, Durham Women of WSL 2, last month.

Northern Ireland, who last played in May in Nations League Group B1, are gearing up to face Iceland over two legs for a spot in League A in the next edition of the tournament.

The first leg is scheduled at Ballymena Showgrounds on Friday 24 October (7pm), with the return leg at Laugardalsvöllur Stadium in Reykjavik on Tuesday 28 October.

Tanya Oxtoby, Northern Ireland senior women’s team manager, has made several changes to the squad that clinched the Nations League play-off with a draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in May.

Oxtoby has included two new faces in her panel for the upcoming matches, Leyla McFarland and Mia Moore.

McFarland, a native of San Diego, is a clubmate of McFadden’s at Durham. She was signed by the North-East club from Hungarian side Ferencvaros last month.

The 25-year-old forward has six Under-19 caps for Northern Ireland and has previously played alongside senior squad members Megan Bell, Louise McDaniel and Emily Wilson at U19 level.

Glentoran Women’s midfielder, Moore (18), who has previously represented Northern Ireland at U15, U17 and U19 levels, has scored 12 goals in 27 appearances for the Glens this season.

Aberdeen Women duo Toni-Leigh Finnegan and Kerry Beattie, along with Nottingham Forest Women forward Casey Howe, are also making a return to the squad.

Finnegan, a defender/midfielder with eight senior caps to her name, was last included in the squad in February 2024. Forward Beattie, who is currently on loan at the Dons from Hearts Women, has not been part of the senior panel since December 2024, despite having 12 caps and four goals under her belt.

Howe is back in action after overcoming a series of injuries. The striker’s last cap came a year ago against Croatia.

Oxtoby expressed her excitement today, saying: “It’s exciting. We have a very young group this time around who are all very excited to be part of the set-up. We’ve done a lot of work in the background to make sure they feel ready when they come in.”

She added: “It’s a massive window for us, but more importantly it’s a great challenge to see where some of our younger players are.”

Oxtoby believes that experienced players like Sarah McFadden will play a crucial role in supporting the development of the younger players.

The Northern Ireland manager further commented: “Play-offs are always going to be a challenge but I think for us it’s not about the result as such, it’s about the process and seeing where we are against what is a really strong Iceland side.

“We want to win every game. We have earned the right to be here, to challenge ourselves against one of the powerhouses in European football.”

She recognised it will be “a massive test” for Northern Ireland, particularly considering that several seasoned players are unavailable for the fixtures.