Individual context key to player moves - McArdle

Northern Ireland boss Michael McArdle said that "individual context" is key when weighing up whether his players are better served playing regularly domestically or moving to a higher level across the water and not getting consistent game time.

Cliftonville announced on Tuesday that Northern Ireland internationals Danielle Maxwell and Louise McDaniel have returned to the club after a spell at third tier English club Burnley.

Both players had previous spells in England and decided to return home, with consistent game time at the Reds helping them to remain in the international picture.

While he wants to encourage players to challenge themselves and move to play in a more professional environment, McArdle believes he must be open-minded to individual circumstances and be willing to select those who are on form in the Women's Premiership too.

"I spoke to both [Louise and Danielle] and other players on camp and I referenced that there are various aspects [to consider] as a head coach," he said.

"That was a key discussion with players coming out of contract, those who have had good game time and others who have found it more difficult to break into the environment and need immediate game exposure, so my interpretation is always the person first. It is the individual context.

"For some players, it was 'what is it you need specifically in this moment in time?'.

"Sometimes it can just be self-esteem, it could be 'I need to find myself again and get confidence' or 'this club and environment is perfect for me', it could be domestically, it could be abroad or somewhere else in the UK.

"There are other players who need the challenge and to stretch themselves and go to another level and that's a slightly different context, so there's no template that 'this is what you must do', but there is individual context, I'm big on that.

"There is no right or wrong, there is no linear path, and I think we can't be too black and white, that's our approach."

McArdle was speaking on a visit to Northern Ireland to watch the Under-17 Women's Euros that are taking place in the country.

He added that he has "sneaked into" a couple of Women's Premiership games as he looks to familiarise himself with those playing domestically and widen his selection pool, something he thinks is essential moving forward.

"For me, it's important all the players at all levels know there is an opportunity," he said.

"Visiting some of the games, there is some unseen talent there and you can see certain things through the screen, but we don't have enough data covering the domestic game, so it's hard to compare players to those in the WSL 2 or SWPL, so it's really important to see players in person because it could be that missing piece to players getting their opportunity."

McArdle will lead Northern Ireland into their final two World Cup qualifying against Turkey and Switzerland in June.

After their two wins over Malta in his first two games, McArdle's side sit third in Group B2, a point behind Turkey above them.

Third place will be enough to secure a play-off, although it will be a difficult route to the tournament in Brazil, with NI unseeded and having to go through two rounds of two-legged games.

While McArdle believes the new format of qualifying, linked to a country's performance in the Nations League, can be "fruitful" if you win your group, he conceded it is more challenging for smaller nations like Northern Ireland to reach tournaments now.

NI have suffered play-off defeats to Norway and Iceland in their quests to reach Euro 2025 and earn promotion to League A, but McArdle hopes those experiences can stand his squad in good stead if they were to face more play-offs this year.

"It's really difficult to qualify for these competitions and it is more difficult now. The Nations League process is fruitful, but the play-off paths are difficult to navigate, so that's a real focus for us and we're investing consistently in trying to evolve," he explained.

"A big aspect now is being ready at play-off level because that's what gives you one-off opportunities to punch above your weight in a smaller portion and qualify for tournaments through it."