It may be just over nine months away but Northern Ireland Women’s Under-17s head coach Gail Redmond is already in preparation mode for the WU17 Euros.
The Irish Football Association is set to host the UEFA Women’s Under-17 European Championship from 3 to 16 May next year.
Group games are scheduled to be played at Inver Park in Larne and Seaview in north Belfast, with the Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park hosting matches in the latter stages of the tournament.
Redmond admits she is “incredibly excited” at the prospect of Northern Ireland hosting the 2026 WU17 Euros.
She said: “It’s a tremendous honour for Northern Ireland to welcome Europe’s top young talent and showcase our passion for football on an international stage.
“This is only the second time we’ve hosted a UEFA women’s tournament, the first being the U19 Championship in 2017, which was a fantastic experience for everyone involved, from our players and coaches to the fans and local communities.
“Hosting gives us a unique opportunity not just to shine a light on Northern Ireland as a welcoming and capable host, but to inspire a new generation of young girls to get involved in football. The visibility and energy of a tournament like this can have a lasting legacy.”
The WU17s head coach is also looking forward to the challenge of taking on Europe’s best.
She said: “We know the challenge that lies ahead. The standard in European women’s football is incredibly high.
“We saw that clearly in the recent 2025 finals. The margins at this level are fine, and the competition is fierce. That said, our goal is to be competitive. We’re not setting unrealistic expectations – we understand where we are in our development – but we also believe in challenging ourselves.”
Redmond said the tournament will ultimately not just be about results.
She explained: “Our players will be exposed to playing top level opposition, which we believe will greatly aid their development and show them the standards required to play at the top level.
“We want our team to grow from the experience. We’ll be facing some of the best youth sides in Europe, and that’s exactly the kind of test we need.
“Our coaching staff are committed to making sure we approach every game with ambition and learning in mind.”
The Northern Ireland WU17s manager attended the 2025 tournament in the Faroe Islands back in May where The Netherlands defeated Norway 2-1 in the final.
She explained: “I wanted to see how teams prepared for big tournaments, and I learned a lot.”
Senior women’s manager Tanya Oxtoby is taking a keen interest in Northern Ireland’s younger players, which Redmond says is very welcome.
She said: “It’s great. It’s good for the senior manager to see the players who are developing via the pathway.
“Tanya has shown consistently she is willing to give younger players opportunities in the senior environment.
“She’s looking forward to being in and around the tournament and is interested in how our players will develop further after playing in a top level tournament.”
Northern Ireland’s WU16 development squad has just taken part in SuperCupNI and it’s likely that quite a few of those players will be involved next May.
The WU17s manager explained: “We have players within our pathway who we have been preparing for next year’s tournament. Many of our players have previously taken part in UEFA development tournaments.
“Some of our current U17 squad will still be eligible to play next May as well as players in our U16 and U15 development squads.
“Squad preparations are already well under way, however they will really ramp up at the beginning of 2026.”
Redmond believes next year’s tournament has the potential to make a considerable impact both on and off the pitch.
She pointed out: “Fans will be able to watch some of the best young players in Europe and cheer on our young stars of the future.
“We believe the tournament will also have a strong legacy, inspiring the next generation of young female players. And it will provide an opportunity to build the profile of women’s and girls’ football in Northern Ireland.”
