"I've had a lot of injuries in the past couple of years but the pinnacle for any player is to play for their country and I'm no different. That would be the main goal for me heading into the next few weeks, to try and cement a seat on that plane for Italy. Obviously it will be a really tough match, but I think it's one that we can go and win. We've got a good squad there and I love playing for Northern Ireland so that would be a big goal."
"All the staff at Northern Ireland, as soon as the final whistle went last week, they were on the phone congratulating me and the team. It's such a close-knit group when we're away with Northern Ireland, all the players keep in contact even when we're not together. That shows with the results we've had and that's credit to Michael O'Neill and what he has built over the past couple of years. A really tight knit unit"
Conor McMenamin aims to regain a place in the Northern Ireland squad for the World Cup play-off semi-final against Italy in March. The 30-year-old missed international selection for over a year after a serious knee injury and a subsequent Achilles problem. McMenamin is rebuilding match fitness with regular appearances for St Mirren and played a significant role in their 3-1 Scottish League Cup final win over Celtic. He has nine international caps, debuted against Cyprus in the 2022 Nations League and scored in a 3-0 Euro qualifier win over San Marino in October 2023. Teammates and staff congratulated him, reflecting a close-knit squad under Michael O'Neill.
Read at www.bbc.com
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