World Cup: confidence high in the Northern Ireland camp ahead of huge game in Italy

Northern Ireland were putting in some last-minute preparations today (Wednesday) for one of their biggest games in years.

Michael O'Neill's side will face Italy in Bergamo tomorrow night in a World Cup play-off semi final.

They are under no illusions about the task in front of them - Italy are World Cup four-time champions.

While they did not qualify for the last two World Cups, they are ranked sixth in the world, 48 places above Northern Ireland.

Being clear underdogs does not worry QPR forward Smyth.

“Everyone in Northern Ireland is an underdog really because of how small the country is, but I don’t think people realise how big of a fight we have and much passion we have, and how eager we are to prove people wrong,” Smyth told the Press Association.

“If we execute the game plan that we have, then who knows? Who’s to say we’re not going to end up playing that final play-off for the World Cup?”

If Northern Ireland beat Italy, they will then play either Wales or Bosnia for a place in the World Cup finals in the summer.

Josh Magennis and Paddy McNair are the only survivors from the squad O’Neill took to Euro 2016, but Smyth – then still a teenager – was in France a decade ago to help during training and said that taste of a big tournament helped drive his career.

“I was actually able to experience that feeling of how they felt before the game, how they felt in training, how they felt after the games,” he said. “I wasn’t a professional back then, I was still at Linfield, but I could see what it meant and what it felt like, and I just thought, ‘I want this’.

“It drove me to become a professional footballer and to get chances like this.”

For a largely young squad still gaining experience, managing emotions will be key with a mix of nerves and excitement inevitable.

“The butterflies are all happening, you know how big the game is for the nation, but until that day you don’t know how it’s going to feel,” Smyth added.

“I try and downplay it and just be excited, to be vocal and sing and dance, just try to be me, because if I don’t then I’m a ball of nerves and I’ll sit in the corner and overthink it, put pressure on myself.

Meanwhile, Ethan Galbraith said it is the biggest game of his career.

“I think the magnitude of the game speaks for itself,” Galbraith said. “Certainly for me personally, it’s the biggest game I’ve been involved in.

“I try to block that out as much as I can, just sort of take it as if it’s any other game, even though it’s tough to think like that.

“As footballers, over time you learn you can’t really be too emotional or think about it too much.”