CRYING SHAME IF WE MISS OUT

JOSH MAGENNIS admits he will have to keep his emotions in check if Northern Ireland qualify for the World Cup finals.

The striker, above, was reduced to tears after scoring his debut international goal on the night Michael O’neill’s side booked their place at Euro 2016.

A 3-1 victory over Greece saw Northern Ireland qualify for their first ever

European Championship, and now they stand on the cusp of glory once again with a massive World Cup play-off double-header against Switzerland.

The Swiss are in Belfast for tomorrow night’s first leg at Windsor Park, with the return tie in Basel on Sunday.

And Magennis is hoping he can fire the goals to help send the nation to Russia.

“It would be mad if I scored. The boys keep saying ‘are you going to cry again?’,” the Charlton striker said.

“It would be the stuff of dreams. To score in the play-off to send Northern Ireland to the World Cup, or even to play in the winning team. It would be unbelievable.

“I don’t even have the words to describe it. I don’t know what I would do.

“It would be fantastic. As a striker you want to score in every game. To be on the scoresheet, home or away, would be absolutely brilliant. Even if it went off my toe, or glanced off any hair I have left on my head, it would be amazing.”

Magennis added: “To say that you have played for your country, and then to say you’ve gone to a European Championship and a World Cup, is the stuff of dreams.

It is something you dream about as a kid.

“And to do it with this group of players would be nothing short of

amazing.”