Despite a slow start to the year, the Northern Ireland Men's football team experienced a resurgence in 2024, with a new generation of leaders emerging.
When the calendar flipped from 2023 to '24, optimism among the Green and White Army was thin on the ground. Yes, Northern Ireland men's final fixture of the year had brought a much needed victory over Denmark but, on the whole, memorable moments had been few and far between.
While a seemingly favourable qualifying group and the return of Michael O'Neill to the Windsor Park dugout had sparked hopes of making it to Euro 2024, other than that victory over a rotated Denmark side, their only points of the campaign had come against lowly San Marino. Yet fast forward just 12 months and the mood has changed utterly with 2025 teed up to be a big year for an emerging side. Sadly the same cannot be said for the women's squad who,With the new year upon us, BBC Sport NI looks ahead at what's in store for the national sides.During 2024, Steven Davis and Jonny Evans, first and fourth on the Northern Ireland men's team's all-time appearance list, hung up their boots, although the latter continues to play on for his club Manchester United. In addition Stuart Dallas, another key player and one of the few in the squad with significant Premier League experience, was forced to retire through injury aged only 32. In their stead, a new leadership group has emerged, one that will be expected to grow considerably over the next 12 months. Liverpool's Conor Bradley enjoyed a banner year in 2024, from his breakout performance against Chelsea in January through to his In between those stand-out moments for his club, the 21-year-old scored a first goal for his country in the win over Scotland - followed by three more across the calendar year - and donned theThe role of skipper would be rotated through a successful Nations League campaign with Trai Hume and Shea Charles also getting their turn as Northern Ireland topped a group that also contained Bulgaria, Belarus and Luxembour
Northern Ireland Football Men's Team Euro 2024 Conor Bradley New Leadership
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