Watch The Women's Football Show on Friday at 9pm on Sky Sports Football; Northern Ireland Women made history by beating Ukraine 4-1 on aggregate to qualify for Euro 2022; Marissa Callaghan: "We've changed women's football here forever and it can only get bigger and better"
Friday 16 April 2021 12:18, UK
Marissa Callaghan believes her nation has been inspired after Northern Ireland Women qualified for their first major tournament.
Northern Ireland secured their spot at the 2022 European Championships, which are to be played in England next July, with a 4-1 aggregate win over Ukraine in the qualifying play-offs.
Callaghan, who captains the side and scored the opening goal during the second leg on Tuesday, says the milestone reflects the progress the team and women's football in the country has made over the past few years.
"The game has grown massively over the past 10 years and Tuesday has just put the icing on the cake for us," she said.
"We've changed women's football here forever and it can only get bigger and better.
"It speaks for itself. I feel like we've inspired a nation of young boys and girls who will want to one day wear the green jersey."
The achievement of reaching their first major tournament has been a long time coming for Northern Ireland Women.
The 49th world-ranked side was not even in existence back in 2003 and only relaunched a year later. In 2021, the squad still comprises a mixture of semi-professional and amateur players.
Sarah McFadden has told Sky Sports News that Northern Ireland's qualification for Euro 2022 is "one of the best moments of her life", while head coach Kenny Shiels believes his team's feat will never be matched again.
Following their recent qualification, Callaghan says reaching the Euros can help enhance efforts to boost youth development in the country and ensure that Northern Ireland's success is not just a one-off.
She said: "When I was younger there were no girls teams that I could play in until I was 13 and we didn't have the role models that the young girls have now, so for me it really motivates me inside.
"I work for the Irish FA as a girls participation officer and my main role is to get more girls involved.
"So I think the squad has made my job a lot easier and knowing the investment that's going in from the Irish FA, we have opportunities for girls as young as four to get involved.
"The pathways at clubs are working tremendously hard to make sure there are opportunities for girls to be at clubs whenever they're young."
Northern Ireland's men's side reached the round-of-16 at Euro 2016 in what was the nation's debut European Championship as thousands of the green and white army cheered on Michael O'Neill's side in France.
Callaghan hopes similar numbers will travel to England next year to witness her and her team-mates make history in their first Euros.
She added: "I know we speak about the men in 2016 and how they brought a nation together, so hopefully we have achieved the same goal and brought the nation together and we all have something to look forward to next year.
"I know the green and white army will be there in their hundreds and probably thousands to support us.
"We are seen as having the best fans in the world so having our green and white army there will be amazing."
You can see the full interview with Marissa Callaghan on The Women's Football Show on Friday at 9pm on Sky Sports Football.
