Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill hopes hosting Euro 2028 will inspire young players

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill has welcomed the news that Northern Ireland will host part of the Euro 2028 tournament.

Yesterday it was confirmed that the joint bid between the United Kingdom and The Republic of Ireland was successful, with the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and Casement Park in Belfast set to host games during the tournament.

Northern Ireland are preparing for their upcoming European Championship qualifers against San Marino and Slovenia and O'Neill feels the Euro 2028 is a real incentive for his young squad.

"It's fantastic it was a very strong bid, it's something to look forward to, I look at some of the players we have here in thid group who are 18-20 years of age so by the time Euro 2028 comes around they will still be young players but with much more international experience than they have now."

Daniel Ballard and Isaac Price will be in the peak of the careers in five years time and know feel it would be a dream come true to play in a major tournament on home soil.

"It's exciting, it's a real incentive not just for me but all the players," said Ballard,

"Going into games and going into training knowing we've got that to look forward to in the future."

Price who recently joined Belgian club Standard Liege from Everton, admits it would be one of his career highlights if he could represent in country in Belfast.

"It's massive for us really and we have a lot of young players in our squad so it gives us a bit of motivation to get to play at home, for anyone to play in a European Championship would be massive but I think to play here in your own country would be unbelievable."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.