Northern Ireland qualified for their first major tournament in 30 years in reaching Euro 2016. It was a remarkable achievement for a team that had slumped to a low of 129 in the FIFA world rankings in September 2012 – to not only qualify for Euro 2016, but to do so by topping a group in which they were only the fifth seeds was a European Championship first. Anyone who believes that there is more to come from Michael O’Neill’s men in France should take advantage of any bookmakers offers, be they free bets or enhanced odds, as Northern Ireland will be classed as clear outsiders for all three of their group matches. The fact that they did top their group meant that even had the competition not been expanded to take in 24 finalists, Northern Ireland would still have booked their place in France. In doing so they secured their first ever appearance at the European Championship finals, although they do have three appearances at the World Cup under their belts (1958, 1982 and 1986). With three games against high-quality opposition in quick succession played under the global media spotlight, the current Northern Ireland squad will be stepping into […]
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