Northern Ireland’s women’s football team has achieved the incredible feat of qualifying for the 2022 European Championships. Manager Kenny Shiels described his squad as “the best achievers of all time,“ ranking the team above the men who qualified for the Euros in 2016 and even above local sports stars of global fame such as Rory Mcilroy or Carl Frampton. So is he right? Just how momentous is the achievement of our women’s team?

The decisive tie against Ukraine finished as a 4-1 aggregate win with a 2–0 home victory that was secured at Seaview and screened live on BBC2. Marissa Callaghan and Nadene Caldwell, both players for local sides, scored the decisive goals on a night they will never forget. The only downside was that their qualification came at a time when it was not possible to have a live crowd cheering them on. In 2016 the men’s team qualified at a reduced capacity Windsor Park, but at least they still had thousands of fans to celebrate with. Marking such a momentous win in an empty stadium must have been a surreal experience for these women who surely experienced the greatest moment of their careers to date.

The Northern Ireland women’s team only resumed playing in 2004. To put that into context, the men’s side famously defeated England at Windsor Park in 2005! 14 of the 23-player squad turn out for teams locally. Only a handful of men’s teams in Northern Ireland are professional and the women’s game is very far behind in terms of the financial resources available. Only three play in the Women’s Super League (WSL) in England. This is truly an underdog story, but it is one we should all be familiar with in Northern Ireland by now.

Women’s football is attracting more and more media attention globally. The WSL recently signed a ‘multimillion pound’ deal with Sky Sports for broadcasting rights, marking a huge step forward in the women’s game. This news  comes shortly after Chelsea coach Emma Hayes snubbed speculation linking her with the Wimbledon men’s role, declaring that her current job was much more prestigious. There is no doubt that the men’s game is larger by far, but women’s football is growing as a sport and those who are able to earn a living from it are determined to ensure that it is taken seriously.

Kenny Shiels is a name that before now may only have been familiar to fans of local football. He has had spells with many different local teams, most recently Derry City, before becoming manager of the women’s national team. Shiels has also spent time managing across the water, his most high profile job being with SPFL side Kilmarnock. Kenny was one of the candidates considered as a replacement for Michael O’Neill following his departure from the men’s side, and while it must have been a disappointment not to be awarded that job, I am sure that he and his squad are delighted with how things have turned out. He is an experienced coach who has worked with many hard-working local players, and he has shown his ability to get the best out of his players.

The 2022 Euros will take place in England between 6 July and 31 July. The date of the draw is yet to be announced, but Northern Ireland enter in ‘pot 4’ as the lowest ranked of the 16 teams and could face being drawn in a group with England, France, Germany or the Netherlands. Some might say that the women’s biggest win in the tournament – qualification itself – is behind them, but don’t expect Northern Ireland’s Euro ambition to be limited by anyone’s expectations.