Family, football and Dalglish - what drives NI boss McArdle? Image source, Press Eye Image caption, Michael Mc Ardle was appointed Northern Ireland manager in March and has won two of his four matches By Andy Gray BBC Sport NI journalist As Michael Mc Ardle sits down for an interview with BBC Sport at Windsor Park, he's as relaxed as they come. The Scot had just announced his squad for the World Cup play-off with Portugal, for what will be the biggest game of his managerial career to date. Mc Ardle has only been in the Northern Ireland hot seat since March, when he was announced as Tanya Oxtoby's permanent successor, but has more than 25 years of experience working in football.
There's a clear passion for what he is doing, as he balances the reality of playing one of Europe's top-ranked sides with the dreams of reaching a first World Cup just months into his new role. But there is one word that keeps cropping up across various topics - family. Mc Ardle was born and bred in Moodiesburn to the east of Glasgow, and still lives there to this day.
He met his wife, Tammy, in the village when they were both on the same paper round at the age of 12, and they have now been married for 28 years. He has three children, Connor, Mya and Cole, and is about to become a grandad for the first time. It's clear how much his family means to him.
But when he talks about family, it's not just in terms of his own life. It is an embodiment of what he is trying to achieve with Northern Ireland."Family's crucial to me. We're all a family when we represent the country," he said."That's a family of players and a family of staff, but also as an ecosystem and domestic game."We're all the one family when we're together and that's a message that will always be strong while I'm at the helm."Dreams v reality Image source, Press Eye Image caption, Northern Ireland have won two of their four games under Mc Ardle - but Portugal will be a tough test If Northern Ireland are to make it to their first World Cup in Brazil then there are a number of hurdles they will need to clear.
It would perhaps surpass even the fairytale of qualifying for Euro 2022, when Kenny Shiels led a squad largely made up of amateur players to the promised land. A change in format has made replicating that feat more difficult, and if Northern Ireland can beat Portugal over two legs then they will face Croatia or, more likely, Iceland. The Portuguese and Iceland have beaten Northern Ireland over the past two years or so - both quite convincingly.
Even if Mc Ardle's young squad can defy the odds, they will likely face an additional inter-continental play-off in February due to their rankings. It's a tall order. But that does not stop Mc Ardle and Northern Ireland from dreaming.
If anything, it is to be encouraged."I think the dream piece is crucial, so we've dreamed about how we get there and what it'll feel like when we do it."The other piece of it is the reality. We know it's a highly challenging task first of all to get through Portugal."Mc Ardle talks about moments within matches, and working with his staff to plan for in-game scenarios. There's also the excitement that comes with such a big match, and Mc Ardle admits he is "loving" his time in charge."You look forward to every game but it's one of those ties that gives you the opportunity to test yourself at the highest level."Also the excitement of possibly achieving something and punching above our weight, which we're special at doing."'I don't underestimate the power of it'Image source, Press Eye Image caption, Northern Ireland captain Simone Magill will be with the group as she steps up her return following the birth of her daughter, Skye In his career in football, Mc Ardle has held a number of coaching, academy and development positions.
Before he joined Northern Ireland, he was head of elite women's football at the Scottish FA, and also had a brief interim spell in charge of their senior team. While the belief is there, Mc Ardle kno...
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