Northern Ireland 'should dream' of World Cup - McArdle

Northern Ireland manager Michael McArdle said his side "should always dream and strive" of qualifying for the Women's World Cup in 2027.

McArdle will take charge of NI for the first time on Tuesday, 14 April against Malta at Mourneview Park before travelling for the reverse fixture four days later.

Northern Ireland were defeated in their opening two Group B2 matches against Switzerland and Turkey as they aim to qualify for their first ever World Cup.

"We should always dream and strive to be there. It is then the job of me and the players and staff to do our best to get there," McArdle told BBC Sport NI's Mark Sidebottom.

"A big piece is if we achieve it, can we do it consistently? That is why the future and alignment is crucial, so we do not just achieve luckily, but we earn that right and do it the right way to do it consistently.

"We are looking at six points and have to have that expectation of ourselves, hopefully at the close of that window, we work well and earn those six points. The next window will be the crucial one for us to hopefully target second place."

McArdle was appointed Northern Ireland manager after Tanya Oxtoby stepped down to become first-team manager at Newcastle United.

Following Oxtoby's departure, Kris Lindsay was introduced as interim manager for the opening two World Cup qualifiers.

McArdle was head of elite women's football at the Scottish IFA and managed the Scottish national side on an interim basis last year.

"I am hugely proud and excited to be here," McArdle continued.

"I know a lot about the players, the squad and the exciting pieces of potential both of the senior players and also the young, exciting talent which is growing through the pipeline.

"That is why my skills align - I develop players and coaches and I develop myself through that."

Northern Ireland are going through a period of transition with many key figures retiring in recent years and younger players breaking into the squad.

McArdle added that it is key to assess the younger players and that he will attend the upcoming U17 European Championships in Northern Ireland in May.

"The pipeline of the younger player's is crucial," he continued.

"In over a month, I will be here a lot to see the under-17s play, see the future and also align that future to the senior team.

"A lot of my work will be aligning what the underage coaches do to the national team."