NI return ‘always in the back of my mind’ – McFadden

On Friday night, Northern Ireland’s substitution against Iceland in their Nations League promotion/relegation play-off was met with more enthusiastic applause than the other substitutions.

Six months after giving birth to her second child, the 38-year-old returned to play for her country.

She won her 107th cap, which was her first since February 2024, but she soon found herself back in as a result of Sveindis Jonsdottir’s swift sliding tackle.

On September 25, McFadden completed her pre-season with Durham, her WSL 2 club, and started playing her first full 90 minutes.

A return to the international lineup was made possible by a defensive injury crisis, and almost a month after her first full game, she managed 32 minutes against an Icelandic side that was a part of Euro 2025.

She describes it as “incredible” and explains what she has worked tirelessly to achieve since returning to full fitness.

She told BBC Sport NI, “I’ve worked really hard, and my goal has always been to serve Northern Ireland.”

I was miles behind everyone when I first stepped on the line in the summer of [pre-season]. I kept imagining that I might put on a green shirt in the future, which has been very difficult, but I was certain that I would eventually get here.

Given the addition of younger players, the NI squad she has returned to is noticeably different from the one she was last a year and a half ago.

Marissa Callaghan, Rachel Furness, and Rachel Dugdale all retired, making that necessary.

McFadden, the only centurion on the current panel, knew that her experience would be the difference between her and the younger generation, and she hopes to impart the lessons she learned from more than 20 years of playing to them.

When I was defending my case to Tanya, I was saying, “That’s what I was saying.” Even if I’m not physically fit, I’ve always got that experience,” she continued. “I will always do my best for Northern Ireland and our group.

I hope I’ve helped them, particularly Abi Sweetlove, this week. She’s just beginning her career, and she’s a fantastic center-half. She’s the future, and I hope to be able to assist her because I’ve done it before and someone else has.

McFadden and NI are now gearing up for a two-goal deficit in Ballymena on Tuesday, where they will aim to overturn the two-goal deficit.

Given that Oxtoby’s side didn’t score a shot on target in the opening game, McFadden still believes they have a chance if they succeed there.

We need a little more faith, they say. We had a chance, and with that belief, we were able to get in their final third a little bit more.