Northern Ireland Women’s squad for first UEFA Women’s Nations League ties | OneFootball

Caragh Hamilton is the one change to the Northern Ireland squad for UEFA Women’s Nations League matches. (Danilo Fernandes/SPP)

Northern Ireland head coach Tanya Oxtoby has named her squad UEFA Women’s Nations League games against Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Nottingham Forest attacker Caragh Hamilton is the one change from the squad that faced Norway late last year, recovering from injury to replace injured Forest team-mate Casey Howe.

Northern Ireland will begin their campaign in UWNL League B Group 1 away to Poland, the top seeds in B1, on 21 February in the port city of Gdansk.

Tanya Oxtoby’s side, who are the second seeds in the group, will then face third seeds Bosnia and Herzegovina at Larne’s Inver Park on Tuesday 25 February (7pm). Romania are the other team in B1.

Poland are ranked 28th in the world compared to Northern Ireland in 44th, while the Bosnians and Romanians are 63rd and 48th in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking respectively.

Northern Ireland squad:

Goalkeepers – Jackie Burns (Bristol City), Maddy Harvey-Clifford (Crusaders Strikers), Rachael Norney (Liverpool Feds).

Defenders – Rebecca Holloway, Rebecca McKenna and Ellie Mason (all Birmingham City), Laura Rafferty (Rangers), Rachel Dugdale (Blackburn Rovers), Kelsie Burrows (Cliftonville), Natalie Johnson (Nottingham Forest).

Midfielders – Joely Andrews (Hearts), Chloe McCarron (Glentoran), Louise McDaniel (Burnley), Brenna McPartlan (Burnley), Megan Bell (Nottingham Forest), Connie Scofield (Sheffield United, on loan from London City Lionesses).

Forwards – Kerry Beattie (Aberdeen, on loan from Hearts), Lauren Wade (Hearts), Emily Wilson (Glentoran), Simone Magill (Birmingham City), Keri Halliday (Linfield), Danielle Maxwell (Burnley), Caragh Hamilton (Nottingham Forest).

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