‘Butterflies’ for QPR’s Smyth ahead of Northern Ireland play-off
QPR’s Paul Smyth is excited at the prospect of trying to help Northern Ireland upset the odds and overcome Italy.
Smyth’s side are massive underdogs against the Italians, who will expect victory in Thursday’s World Cup qualifying play-off in Bergamo.
Smyth met up with his international squad on a high, having scored twice in Rangers’ 6-1 thrashing of Portsmouth at Loftus Road on Saturday.
Now the 28-year-old is hoping to be part of what would be a historic win for his country.
“The butterflies are happening – you know how big the game is,” he said.
“I try and downplay it and just be excited. If I don’t then I’m a ball of nerves and I’ll sit in the corner and overthink it, putting pressure on myself. You need to enjoy the moment.”
A win for Northern Ireland would set up a play-off final against either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina for a place at this summer’s tournament.
“If we execute the game plan that we have, then who knows?” Smyth said.
“I don’t think people realise how big of a fight we have and much passion we have.”
World Cup place for Smyth?
Smyth is enjoying some of the best form of his QPR career.
His brace against Portsmouth took his tally for the season to five goals and he has been an important squad player under head coach Julien Stephan – and his 9.0 FotMob rating on Saturday was a career-high.
The stakes for Northern Ireland, meanwhile, could not be higher as they seek to reach their first World Cup finals since Mexico 1986.
Standing in their way is an Italy side desperate to avoid a repeat of their recent qualifying failures, having missed out on both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
While the Azzurri remain heavy favorites on home soil, Michael O’Neill’s side can take heart from a disciplined qualifying campaign in which they conceded just six goals.
