Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MAKING IT TO QATAR WOULD BE PINNACLE
As Davis is set for record 125th appearance, he admits place at 2022 finals will cap it all
MEMORIES are golden but they flicker and fade with every passing year.
It has been a long time since a Northern Ireland team immersed itself in the hypnotic colour, drama and folklore of a World Cup. Thirty-five years in real time but an eternity in football currency.
Too long for Steven Davis who was only 18 months old the last time Billy Bingham and company graced football’s greatest stage at the 1986 finals in Mexico.
Davis was a toddler in the Co Antrim village of Cullybackey as Sammy Mcilroy, Norman Whiteside and Pat Jennings crossed swords with Brazil in Guadalajara.
A young mind untouched by Bingham’s famous sides of the 1980s or the fact he was destined to overtake the legendary Jennings as his country’s most capped player.
Fast forward and Davis needs little reminding that Northern Ireland have gone eight World Cup qualifying campaigns with little or nothing to show for their efforts. A play-off defeat to Switzerland for the 2018 finals in Russia is as close as we’ve come to adding a fourth tournament to those of 1958, 1982 and 1986.
“I couldn’t put it into words what it would mean to me to play on the World Cup stage,” said Davis ahead of tonight’s group opener with Italy in Parma.
“That goes for everybody in the camp. To play in a major tournament, whether it is the Euros or the World Cup, is massive for a country of our size.
“But getting to the World Cup would be the pinnacle. That’s what you grow up watching and dreaming of playing in. It would mean so much to everyone.”
While Davis, who captained Northern Ireland to the knockout stages of Euro 2016, is dreaming of a blindside run to Qatar 2022, he knows how difficult the task will be.
Only the winners of a tough group that contains Italy and the Swiss for starters, qualify automatically, with the runners-up heading into the play-offs. With Northern Ireland facing Bulgaria in Belfast on Wednesday, the Rangers star knows the importance of getting points on the board.
“It’s huge to get off to a positive start in a campaign because it sets the tone and gives you a platform to build from,” he said.
“We know from qualifying for the Euro 2016 finals and going close in the last World Cup campaign, it gives you a real foundation to build on.
“It’s important over the course of these first two games that we get some points on the board.”
Northern Ireland are massive 20/1 outsiders with some bookies against an Italian side that has yet to lose a home World Cup qualifier, winning 46 and drawing nine in the process.
Former Manchester City title winning boss Roberto Mancini, who was appointed in 2018, has also taken the Azzurri on an unbeaten run of 22 games.
“You couldn’t get a more difficult game to start with than Italy away,” said Davis.
“We are realistic to know how hard it will be to get a really positive result but we will do our best to do that.
“It’s a huge test and I don’t think anyone outside our camp will be giving us a chance to take anything from the game.
“But the pressure and expectation will come from ourselves because no matter who we’re playing, we go into every game expecting to get something from it.”