Euro 2022: Ada Hegerberg, Norway v Northern Ireland and the beginning of new chapters

Few people realized that Northern Irish football was about to embark on a journey on 30 August.

Norway was knocked out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals by losing to Seaview by a score of 6 to 0.

It seemed like a normal run-of-the-mill defeat by a massive footballing nation, yet, nearly three years later, another fixture with the Norwegians bookmarks a new chapter for this remarkable Northern Ireland side.

There were other times when a meeting between the sides proved to be the beginning of the journey. It was eight years ago that the first genuine superstars would appear on the world stage.

If Northern Ireland are looking for inspiration, look no further than the minnows' victory over Norway in 2011.

The game was notable for the debut of a certain Ada Hegerberg, who scored in the victory over a side ranked in the top 10.

We were not given much of a chance. The pitch was terrible and it was a bad night for the team.

They were shell-shocked by the fact that it suited us and we scored. That was a wonderful moment.

"Anything can happen", according to Caldwell, as the odds were against Northern Ireland at that time.

We all play football because of that. It is never a given that you will win, lose or draw in a game.

We know we are the favorites but we will play the game and see if we can upset the odds.

The humble surroundings of Hegerberg's international debut is a far cry from her world class status.

The Lyon forward returned to the international fold in April after five years away in protest at a perceived lack of respect for women.

She will be joined in her attack by a teenager who came off the bench in Lurgan when he was a teenager.

Norway is being seen as a dark horse at the Euros.

"I don't feel any pressure and I think in any case it's a very good pressure," said Hegerberg.

"We need to make high demands of ourselves because we know we have quality, and at the same time always know where we're at so we can always go in the right direction."

You have to make it work. The reason I'm excited is that you have to play together.

'I praised the team'

Northern Ireland and Norway were both looking to change by the time the sides met in 2019.

Two pillars of integrity and trust were put in place by the manager when he became manager. Those who wanted to play under him didn't want these to be negotiable.

He said at the time that the players needed someone they could feel attached to and connected to.

A brand new style of playing out from the back caught a lot of people off guard. The manager was adamant that short-term pain would lead to long-term gain, despite the fact that mistakes cost them that night.

He praised them at the half-time break after they were down by three.

"Especially the goalie." I told her that she had been brilliant. You've made two mistakes, but what do you think about that? You are learning.

They were encouraged to make mistakes so they would improve.

"From there she has gone up and that was just one player."

With his approach, he immediately brought confidence and belief to the squad.

Kenny's style of play was completely different from what we're used to. She said that the former Derry City and Kilmarnock manager is a "father figure".

The players were comfortable on the ball and we played with a lot of confidence.

It was like a new Northern Ireland when we were beaten by six. People started to watch us because of the style of play we played.

Three years later, we are better players, both individually and collectively, because of the journey of highs and lows we have experienced.

We are a team, and we are different than before. He has helped our dreams come true by helping us qualify for a major tournament.