Northern Ireland v Norway: Late-night ferry has made visitors ‘stronger’
Getting to Northern Ireland from Norway doesn’t require planes, trains and cars, but it’s not that far away either.
The team had planned to fly from their base in Leeds to Belfast, but heavy fog on Wednesday night meant their flight was cancelled.
After some quick thinking, Gemma Granger and her star-studded squad boarded the ferry from Liverpool and arrived at the team’s base outside Larne in the early hours.
“It’s definitely an unexpected sense of team cohesion,” Granger told BBC Sport NI ahead of Friday’s Euro 2025 play-off first leg at Inver Park.
“Sleeping on the ferry was a bit of a surprise for us but here we are now. Bunk beds and sharing beds with staff were not on the agenda but everyone made the most of it.”
“It was a late night but good for the team and we had a lot of laughs.”
Norway captain Maren Mijed even said the unexpected travel plans were “like a vacation.”
“We have to get here. Of course, we prefer to fly, but I find it easy,” said the 35-year-old former Chelsea defender, who has made more than 170 appearances for his country.
“I travel on these boats every summer, so it’s a vacation feeling. We have a lot of fun and we have to make the most of it.
“We have a good team and it’s a positive atmosphere no matter what happens. I think it makes us stronger, honestly.”
