From being told at school that girls don’t play football, Sarah McFadden is set to win her 100th NI cap against Albania

Sarah McFadden has reached 100 Northern Ireland caps the hard way

Sarah McFadden celebrates scoring in Northern Ireland's win over Czechia

New Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby

Speaking to Sarah McFadden is the easy part.

Her hugely varied life experience over 36 years and playing football in the USA, Iceland and England means she has plenty to talk about.

As a wife, mother, coach, college teacher and semi-professional footballer the demands on her time are already huge. She has been something of a surrogate mum to team-mates as well.

Add in being an international player, and all that involves, means fitting anything else into her schedule is not just difficult, but nigh on impossible, including time to talk about her impending landmark,

With all those things going on in her life it makes the occasion of the Bellaghy native pulling on the Northern Ireland shirt for the 100th time even more special as well as the many sacrifices worth it.

When the international call comes Sarah, who still plays under her maiden name McFadden at international level while wearing Robson on her back with her club Durham Women, leaves husband Damien and five-year-old daughter Harper at home for 10 days at a time.

Sarah McFadden celebrates scoring in Northern Ireland's win over Czechia

Without that support McFadden wouldn’t have made it to the special landmark that she will celebrate when Northern Ireland face Albania in a Women’s Nations League clash at Seaview on Tuesday night.

There is also a theory that she would have reached the century mark earlier had other factors not played a part, but for the woman who has been outstanding at international level, particularly over the last two or three years, the timing is spot on.

“I always