Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I’M CON CLOUD 9 WITH PROGRESS
QPR striker Conor Washington says reaching next summer’s World Cup on the back of playing at Euro 2016 would propel him into football “dreamland”.
Northern Ireland sealed a coveted spot in next month’s play-offs despite losing 1-0 to a Chris Brunt own goal in Norway on Sunday night.
And while Michael O’neill’s men won’t know their opponents until the draw on October 17, Washington (inset) relishes a prospect of clearing the final hurdle for Russia.
He said: “I know all the lads will be really looking forward to it. These sorts of occasions are what you live for as a footballer.
“To reach a World Cup would be dreamland stuff to me. I came into the squad just before the Euros, so to play at back-to-back tournaments would be unbelievable.
“Personally, it’s been a great journey but also for the other lads too. We were in a really tough group and we’ve done brilliantly to get out of it.
“It’s testament to the lads that we managed to do the work and pick up points so early in the group and we just want to keep the dream alive now.”
Back-to-back defeats to Germany and Norway in the final Group C double header mean Northern Ireland are unlikely to be seeded for the play-off draw.
This month’s FIFA ranking to be published on October 16 will determine the four seeded and four unseeded teams in the two pots in Zurich the following day.
O’neill’s men, ranked 20th in the world last month, are set to take an untimely tumble but Washington says they’ll be ready to go whoever their opponents may be.
He said: “After the Euros, we’ve proven we’re not a flash in the pan and we’re going to be really hard to beat whoever we’re drawn against.
“There’ll be real quality in both pots. You don’t come second in the World Cup qualifying group without being a good team, so it’s going to be tough whoever we get.
“The home leg’s going to be really important but also the away game too. The way the gaffer and his staff sets us up, I know tactically they’ll get it right.”