Euros were ‘mindblowing’ experience for Michael

GC: You made your international debut against Chile in the summer of 2010. You maybe hoped it wouldn’t take another five years to pick up your second cap.

MMcG: I wasn’t that confident of getting a second cap. I got in that squad because it was an end of season friendly game on the other side of the world and other players had pulled out so I was just sort of in the squad due to other players not going. I knew going forward in six months time the bigger players would be back and available for selection so I wasn’t expecting to get many more caps short term after that.

GC: By the time the 2016 Euro Qualifying campaign came round you became a fixture in the squad, starting the campaign along with Alan Mannus as a back up to Roy Carroll.

MMcG: Basically, me and Alan Mannus were back up to Roy, there was three keepers and Roy played the first five games and I played the second five.

It was really unfortunate what happened to Roy, we played Romania in June and he got a stomach problem and he couldn’t train that week. Towards the end of the week we were told that he wasn’t going to play so then I played.From my point of view it was great to get in and get a game but I was also disappointed for Roy because he had done so well up to that point.

GC: You came in for that Romania game and the manager showed great faith in you to keep you in the number one jersey for the remainder of the campaign.

MMcG: He did and I have a lot to thank Michael O’Neill for, he gave me an opportunity and he kept me in there when he didn’t have to because Roy had so much more experience that me but he stood by me which I really appreciate.

GC: It was two Fermanagh men vying for the number one jersey. What was relationship like with Roy?

MMcG: I looked up to Roy whenever he was playing professionally in England and I was just at school. He was the only player I can think off growing up who was from Fermanagh playing professionally and both of us then played in the Northern Ireland squad together, it is crazy how things work. I have so much respect for Roy and with the regards of the Northern Ireland set up he was so supportive of me whenever I played the second half of the 2016 Qualifying campaign to get to the Euros. I can’t speak highly enough of him.

GC: There was some big nights then at the National Stadium at Windsor Park as the side went on to seal qualification for Euros for the first time. Did any stand out in particular?

MMcG: The one that sticks in my mind obviously is the Greece game when we finally did it. The game had a big build up and a lot of apprehension surrounding it about if we were going to do it or not but it went like a dream really and we ended up quite comfortable at the end of the game and it was nice enjoy the last 15 minutes or so knowing that we had done it.

GC: You went into the European Championships in fine form with a 12 game unbeaten run. How did you find that lead up into the tournament?

MMcG: We were solid defensively, we could nick goals from set pieces and we would always be competitive so it was nice to be going into the tournament in good form. It was just adding to the excitement of the build up to the tournament.

GC: What did it feel like walking out for the first game of the tournament against Poland in Nice with all the supporters there?

MMcG: You get to the ground an hour and half before kick off and generally the stadium is empty but that particular game at the Euros it was like at least half full which is so unusual. In my whole career I have not seen a stadium with that many people in it at that time and there was definitely excitement. When you are walking out into the stadium though for the game you are just totally focussed on the game, everything else gets blocked out. You just want to do as well for the team as possible, that’s not me being cliched, that’s just the way it is. You can’t let the magnitude of the surroundings to the game affect you.

GC: Were there any nerves at all?

MMcG: No, it was more excitement. I was in a really good place mentally, I was really focussed and I wanted to grasp the opportunity. I had so much confidence in the rest of the team, especially the defence, I knew how good they were. The back four had been unbelievable going into the tournament so I had so much confidence in them that I knew everything would be alright for me personally.

GC: The tournament opened with a 1-0 defeat to Poland and the end of the unbeaten run. Was it disappointing?

MMcG: We didn’t perform on the day and there is probably a number of reasons for that, tactically, performance wise, everything. The result was disappointing and we were down after the game but we knew that we had another chance. In football you always have another game and we knew we had the chance to go and put it right.

GC: And put it right you did with a 2-0 win over Ukraine with goals from Gareth McAuley and Niall McGinn.

MMcG: It was the perfect response. I remember we started the game really well. We were on the front foot, we had loads of aggression and we were full of energy. Big Gareth scored to get us in front and that was amazing but we knew we still had work to do and conditions started to deteriorate after that. The heavens opened and there was hailstones and the game had to be called off for a little bit and we had to go into the tunnel. We went back out and Niall scored in the 96th minute and it was like the golden goal because you knew it was game over as there was six minutes of injury time to play.

GC: Going into the Germany game did you feel that you still had a chance of qualifying for the last 16?

MMcG: We had three points and I think with that you had a decent chance of progressing. Mathematically there was a stat that showed if you had three points and a good goal difference you had something like an 80 per cent chance of qualifying. Obviously, going into the Germany game the goal difference was the big thing.

GC: With that in mind then you more than played your part that day in the Parc de Princes with a string of top class saves. You described it afterwards as your best performance ever and for it to come on a stage like that, it must be something you are very proud of?

MMcG: It was my best performance because of the stage it was on. I have played better games in general but I think the difference is doing it in that environment. I think that’s what makes it so significant in terms of the opposition, the surroundings, playing at that level in a major tournament so to do that was amazing. Before the game I hadn’t thought I would be that busy, never in my whole Northern Ireland career; like I said we were so strong defensively, I’ve never been that busy in terms of saves but the way they played with their movement and they got in behind us a lot of times which was unlike us defensively. Even over the last few years we have never been like that so it was so unusual for us to let the opposition have so many opportunities.

GC: Any saves in particular stick out for you from that game?

MMcG: I made a save in the second half, I think it was from Gotze, I came out and spread myself and it hit right in the middle of my hand with such force. It was one of those saves, because he is smashing the ball from about three yards away that even though it is hitting your hand there is not enough strength in your hand to keep it out of the net, they usually hit your hand and go into the net, but the way my momentum went I met it and it hit me right in the hand and it was just my day that it stayed out.

GC: You had a lot of your family out for that game which must have been a proud moment for you.

MMcG: I had 15 family members out at the game and that was the most special thing for me.

GC: How long did you have to wait to find out that you had qualified for the last 16 of the tournament?

MMcG: That was the disappointing thing. It was such a weird feeling coming off after the game because we didn’t know if we had qualified or not, it was all up in the air. We basically got changed and went to the airport and the bus from the terminal to the aeroplane we got the score from the other game and then everybody was just jumping up and down in the bus and having a bit of craic.

GC: It was Wales in the last 16. Did you feel going into that game that there was a real chance of reaching the quarter-finals?

MMcG: We did and our game plan worked to a tee. Tactically I thought that the coaching staff got it spot on, we aimed to stop Bale and Ramsey who were their two main threats and in fairness we nearly did that. We had Bale and Ramsey nullified really and the game was even because of that but then the one bit of quality from Bale the whole game ended in a goal. He whipped in a brilliant cross and Gareth had to go for it and it’s ended up in the net which was really unfortunate.

It was scrappy and not much quality in the game with few chances. The cross from Bale was very, very good though and that’s the difference, having a player like that. We don’t have a player like that, a player worth £100m and at that level the finest of margins decide games and unfortunately for us he was the defining factor in that game.

GC: What was your overall experience of being involved in the Euros?

MMcG: It was mindblowing. It was the best experience of my career and I think if you asked any of the players in our squad they would say the same thing. Obviously, there are players in our squad who have had much better careers than me. I remember speaking to Aaron Hughes after the Ukraine game and he said that was his best moment in football and Aaron has played nearly 500 times in the Premier League and had over 100 caps so for him to say that struck home with me how big the Ukraine game was in particular. It was a privilege to play in that tournament.

GC: It would have been great too to see so many Fermanagh people there cheering on Northern Ireland in France.

MMcG: There is always a good number of Fermanagh fans at the Northern Ireland games in general and it is good to see them because you are from Fermanagh and you have that affinity but as players we were proud of the whole fans at the tournament, they were a credit to the country and the team and they really added to the whole experience. It was just typical Northern Ireland people, enjoying the craic and having a good team.

GC: Are you hoping to be part of another Northern Ireland squad that goes to another major tournament as you are still in the running for qualification for the next Euros which has been moved to next year due to the coronvirus situation?

MMcG: You just never know, we have got a chance and it’s not the most difficult thing to do, you need to win two games if you look at it like that. It is something that is in the back of everyone’s minds at the moment because of what is going on but when we get back to it we will work at it and try and do it again.

GC: And are you still hungry to add to the 31 caps you have for Northern Ireland?

MMcG: Yes, definitely. It has been frustrating his last few years as I have not really played as much for Northern Ireland as I would have liked but I have had to be patient at different periods in my career and I have ended up having some amazing highs after showing patience and hopefully this is another period where the patience pays off and I can be part of some special nights for Northern Ireland again.

GC: Are you enjoying the whole Premier League experience with Norwich City?

MMcG: It’s great. It’s a great experience and it has been really interesting to be part of it. I made my Premier League debut this year which was a special moment as well and I have played a couple of games in the Premier League now which is another goal of mine ticked off. But the whole set up is an eye opener, it is the top level, it’s the most talked about league in the world and to be part of it is a brilliant experience.

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