Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby expressed excitement about including 16-year-old goalkeeper Abbie Smith in her squad for the Nations League matches against Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Smith, who joined Manchester City after a scholarship at Crusaders Strikers, impressed during training, showcasing both talent and maturity. Oxtoby has also involved several other young players, emphasizing the need to assess their readiness for the senior environment. With Northern Ireland currently sitting second in Group B1, Oxtoby is keen on how the young talents will perform in upcoming critical fixtures.
Abbie came in and she was seamless in relation to training intensity, being in and around the group and the maturity that she showed.
They're all playing really well and they add a lot. They add a lot of quality to our group.
From a cultural and an emotional point of view, are they ready? There are elements of that we need to appreciate are quite difficult for young players.
Our job is to support them in that and Abbie has really impressed in that area. We're really excited to see how she goes in a full camp.
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