Northern Ireland went from part-time footballers to playing against Norway, Austria and England in the UEFA Women’s Euros 2022, but the journey to history makers wasn’t always linear for Sarah Robson and Jackie Burns.
On April 13, 2021, Northern Ireland qualified for their first-ever women’s major tournament and inspired their nation.
With the pandemic keeping the team behind closed doors, they defeated Ukraine in both legs of their qualifying campaign to make history.
Not only were they the lowest ranked team, sitting at 47th in the world, but the squad also balanced work and studies alongside.
Sarah Robson was one of the most experienced players in the squad, having made her debut at only 17 in 2005.
What from the outside seemed like a clear path to Robson’s first major tournament, was anything but.
The 38-year-old was still teaching full-time at the time, playing part-time football in the Women’s Championship for Durham.
Northern Ireland was able to hand out 20 contracts, allowing players to take a sabbatical for a year and solely focus on football for the 2021/22 season.
Robson was one of those players and was keen to repay the coaches for believing in her.
“I trained pretty much twice a day until that summer and then I moved home to Northern Ireland and we trained as a group for six weeks straight before the Euros.”
Jackie Burns was also offered a space after completing her studies in the United States and playing part-time in Northern Ireland.
Weighing up her options, she made the brave decision to take a risk and push herself against Sweden’s number one, Jennifer Falk, at BK Häcken in Gothenburg.
“I remember the coach at the time telling me that their programme would probably be a bit more beneficial, but I decided to put myself out there, even though it might not work out full-time.
“I didn’t know what my next step was because it was a temporary contract, but in that moment, I knew going to push myself in this environment would be the best thing for me.”
Where Robson’s selection during the qualifying campaign was almost guaranteed, Burns remembered the struggles of inconsistent call-ups.
The 29-year-old said: “The lead up was very mixed with goalkeepers, and I think that was something that I didn’t even think about at the time.
“That was tough because you go from starting to then having a break, not really knowing what’s going to happen with the Euros.
“It’s a tough position; you’re competing all the time but you’re also best friends with them.
“We never wanted to see each other fail because at the end of the day, if you win, you’re winning for your country.”
Image: Irish Football Association
In their final camp, Robson was pulled into a room with the Northern Ireland staff and informed that she had been selected for her first major tournament.
She said: “I sort of knew it was coming but it was still something incredible.
“You’ve worked so hard for it but in all that year you’re just anxiety, you might get hurt before. We had girls that had played for Northern Ireland for years and they got hurt before, and we won’t get that opportunity again.
“I made it this far and now we’re going, we’re off to the Euros so it was class.”
On July 7, 2022, she walked out at St. Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, Northern Ireland’s base for the tournament, with the armband prepared to face Norway.
“I think there was over 1,000 Northern Irish fans and that’s all you could hear within the game.
“It came to about the 60th minute and I’m standing with Ada Hegerberg, and she turned and was like your fans are incredible.
“I’m standing here with a Ballon D’Or winner and she’s talking about how amazing the Northern Irish fans are so that was like one of those moments.”
Part-time footballers coming up against some of Chelsea, Lyon and Barcelona’s best players led to Robson feeling like she had torn both her hamstrings in the following days.
Burns had similar memories from their opening game, hoping to prove to people that Northern Ireland were meant to be there.
“I wanted to take this in, and I was trying to remind myself that this might not happen again, while also trying to make it as normal as possible.
“I was trying to think of it as just another football game and to go out and enjoy it, even though we were playing unreal opposition.”
In front of 30,785 fans, they faced England on July 15, 2022, for their final game.
Robson recalled the incredible atmosphere the match provided, with England going unbeaten in their group-stage games and Northern Ireland making history for their country.
“The England fans were all singing it’s coming home and for one minute I just forgot where I was.
“All the lights were going, and I was standing there like, am I in some sort of dream here?”
Robson said they didn’t get the results they wanted from the tournament, but the experience was second to none.
Burns emphasised the importance of the people around her.
“I think the people you did it with make it all better and that’s something I take into every team that I’ve been with.
“Things can be tough, but whoever you make friends with and whoever you’re around, they make it a lot better.”
With most of the squad now full-time players, they plan to continue making history for their country as they look to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil.
