McKenna Reflects on Northern Ireland’s Effort in Euro 2025 Play-off Defeat to Norway

Northern Ireland defender Rebecca McKenna, who played the full 90 minutes in both legs of the Euro 2025 play-off, stated that her team demonstrated their “togetherness” during their 3-0 loss to Norway in the second leg. The overall play-off concluded with a 7-0 aggregate defeat. Goals scored by Caroline Graham Hansen, Frida Maanum, and Synne Jensen secured a 7-0 aggregate victory for the host nation, Norway, following their initial 4-0 win in the first leg held in Larne. Despite this additional defeat, which extinguished their aspirations of qualifying for consecutive European Championships, McKenna characterized the team’s display as valiant. Speaking to BBC Sport NI, McKenna remarked, “We knew it was going to be difficult coming here after the home result, but I can’t be prouder of the group.” She added, “I think, especially first half, we gave everything we could and that is all you can ask for.” Tanya Oxtoby’s team endured an intense offensive from Norway during the first half. Thanks to several excellent blocks and effective saves by Jackie Burns, they entered halftime trailing by only one goal, which resulted from impressive skill demonstrated by Graham Hansen. McKenna further stated, “Tonight showed our togetherness, they were a great side, they’re some of the best players in the world and we put our bodies on the line.” She concluded, “We had nothing to lose and we wanted to come out and put a performance on and I think we did that.” The Birmingham City defender also expressed satisfaction with Northern Ireland’s composure when possessing the ball, noting that they created several half-chances through well-executed sequences of play. “Tanya put a lot of faith in us coming into this game which gave us confidence and that showed,” McKenna commented. “We played some really nice football compared to the first leg and we were a lot happier with that.” McKenna considered their performance at the Ullevaal Stadium a positive conclusion to a year marked by significant progress in both results and overall performances. She remarked, “We’ve had massive progress; we have grown as a group through this year and hopefully 2025 can bring a lot more good memories for us.” Head coach Oxtoby reiterated McKenna’s views, conveying her contentment with her team’s defensive efforts when facing some of the world’s top players. Oxtoby elaborated, “We knew they would have controlled possession, and we tried to limit them in the spaces they had but our box defending was exceptional and that was something we worked on.” She continued, “I’m really pleased with our organisation and our willingness and want not to concede. You have a team of top players in Norway, and I thought we matched them for periods.” She also expressed delight that Northern Ireland displayed the “bravery” with the ball that she had requested for the second leg. Oxtoby further stated, “We asked them to stretch themselves and I thought they were excellent tonight in and out of possession.” She concluded, “We played the way we have been trying to develop against a really good Norway side, so I’m really proud.”