McNair relishing Windsor Park return for Luxembourg game

Northern Ireland midfielder Paddy McNair is relishing a return to Windsor Park arsenic his broadside big Luxembourg successful their opening Nations League game.

Michael O'Neill's men person not played astatine location since their awesome 2-0 triumph against Denmark successful November past year.

McNair is hopeful that NI tin springiness their fans different nighttime to savour connected location ungraded and extremity their wretched Nations League shape which has yielded 1 triumph from 16 games.

"It’s been excessively long, 10 months [since nan past location game] truthful I’m really looking guardant to it and hopefully we tin person different nighttime for illustration Denmark," he told BBC Sport NI.

"We person had immoderate bully results precocious but our Nations League campaigns successful nan past haven’t been awesome truthful it would beryllium bully to get that momentum going into nan World Cup qualifiers."

Experienced defender McNair is backmost successful nan squad aft missing nan summertime friendlies against Spain and Andorra.

November will people 10 years since his first telephone up to nan elder squad and he has since won 68 caps for his country.

McNair and Josh Magennis are nan only 2 players successful nan existent squad that went to Euro 2016 aft Jonny Evans announced his status from world shot successful nan summer.

The 29-year-old will beryllium among nan favourites to win Evans arsenic skipper but concedes he will beryllium happy to lead nan young players coming done irrespective of if he has nan armband.

"To beryllium skipper of your state would beryllium a dream travel true, but I person to hold and spot connected that, I haven’t had that speech pinch him [Michael O'Neill]," McNair explained.

"Jonny is going to beryllium a miss, he was personification pinch galore caps and experience. He had an unbelievable Northern Ireland career, for maine 1 of Northern Ireland’s champion ever players.

"I astir apt don’t realise really knowledgeable I americium myself, truthful I’ll thief nan young lads arsenic overmuch arsenic I can."