I NAIR WOULD HAVE BELIEVED I’D BE CAPTAIN

BY

PADDY MCNAIR will complete his journey from Northern Ireland supporter to skipper when he leads the team out against Switzerland tonight.

The Middlesbrough midfielder, who made his debut in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Scotland in 2015, will win his 50th cap at Stade de Geneve.

And a longstanding tradition in the international set-up means the popular 26-year-old will wear the captain’s armband to mark the occasion.

“It will be a very proud moment for me and my family,” said

Mcnair (inset), whose versatility means he could line-out in midfield, at right wing-back or in a back three against the Swiss.

“Growing up as a Northern Ireland fan going to all the games, I never thought one day I would be captain and lead my country out.

“There is a tradition in the squad that on your 50th cap you are made captain, so when the manager told me, it was a very proud moment.”

Mcnair was a late substitute the last time Northern Ireland stepped out on Swiss soil in an agonising World Cup play-off in Basel in 2017.

A scoreless draw saw former boss Michael O’neill and his players lose 1-0 on aggregate and miss out on the 2018 finals in Russia.

“It still hurts,” said Mcnair. “Looking back on 2017, in the first leg in Belfast we were very hard done.

“Shaqiri hit the ball against Corry Evans’ back and the referee gave a penalty. Over the two legs we were the better side and deserved to go through.”

Last month’s 0-0 draw in Belfast means just one goal has been scored in Northern Ireland’s last three meetings with Switzerland, dating back to that World Cup play-off four years ago.

“The games before have all been tight and I’m sure this one will be no different,” said Mcnair.

“It’ll be tough, but hopefully we can take our chances and come away with three points.”