Peacock-Farrell will not be fazed by daunting task, maintains McGovern

EURO 2016 hero Michael McGovern has backed fellow goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell to produce the goods for Northern Ireland against Germany at Windsor Park tonight.

Burnley’s summer signing is set to play in the biggest game of his life in the Group C qualifier and has been asking McGovern, who has been there and done it, about what to expect.

McGovern has faced the Germans three times in recent years, twice in the last World Cup qualifying campaign and famously in France when he delivered a stunning performance.

Peacock-Farrell (right) is now the number one for O’Neill and will hope to play as well as McGovern did in Paris.

“Bailey has possession of the jersey. He has nothing done wrong and I’m here to support him, both me and Trevor (Carson). It’s up to him to do the business and he has done. He’s been really good since he came in,” said Norwich’s McGovern.

“He has already asked me a few things about playing Germany. I just told him it’s mentally very tough because you are under so much pressure.

“They don’t really like to cross the ball, they like to play it through the middle so you are always adjusting your position and ready for a shot.

“He doesn’t really need me to tell him how to play. He has played at the highest level and he has a great head on his shoulders and I’m sure he will do really well.

“I don’t expect us to have more possession than them. You know how good a team they are. They are a world class team so as a goalkeeper you have to be switched on. It’s a great challenge for a goalkeeper and, to be honest, it is a great challenge for everyone involved.”

Despite being underdogs, McGovern has belief that at Windsor anything is possible against what is a younger German team than he previously played.

“It will take our maximum

and them to be off it a little bit but if we can do it, it will be a special, special night,” said McGovern.

“We are at home, it’s Windsor and we believe that we can beat anybody here and have proved in the past that we can.”

McGovern is in reserve at present at Norwich so to have some game time last Thursday, coming off the bench in the 1-0 home friendly victory over Luxembourg, meant a lot.

“It was really nice. When you haven’t done it in a while it means more,” said the 35-yearold. “When you are in a routine of playing matches every week you just go on to the next game but when you haven’t played for a while, it is a bit more special.” Praise: Michael McGovern has endorsed his fellow keeper