Northern Ireland Bolsters Squad with Weir and Caldwell for Nations League Opener

In a strategic move to strengthen their lineup, Northern Ireland has called up Kascie Weir and Nadene Caldwell for the upcoming Nations League matches against Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina. This decision comes as a response to the unfortunate withdrawals of Kerry Beattie and Kelsie Burrows, who were sidelined due to injuries.

Nadene Caldwell, an experienced midfielder, returns to the squad after recovering from an ankle injury sustained earlier this season. Her leadership and skill are expected to add depth and stability to the team. Meanwhile, Kascie Weir, an 18-year-old striker from Glentoran, receives her first senior call-up. Weir's impressive performance, including seven goals in the 2024 season, has caught the attention of coach Tanya Oxtoby.

Oxtoby expressed her enthusiasm about the new additions:

'It's disappointing not to have Kelsie and Kerry join the squad, however it's great to have Nadene back. She has worked really hard to recover from her injury. She is one of our leaders, so it's really great to be able to bring her back in.'

Weir, who was set to play in the U19 European qualifiers, has been on Oxtoby's radar for some time. 'I got to see her in two in-house games between the seniors and the U19s and she was really impressive,'' said the Australian coach. 'It represents another great progression for us in terms of the youth pathway and the players we are bringing through.'

Adding further expertise to the coaching staff are former England internationals Laura Bassett and Izzy Christiansen, who have been brought in to assist with the opening Nations League matches. Northern Ireland will face Poland in Gdansk on Friday, followed by a home game against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Larne four days later. Their campaign continues in April with a double-header against Romania in League B1.