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Don't leave goals to Healy: Worthy

By Stuart McKinley
Wednesday, 22 August 2007

Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington barks out the orders at training

Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington barks out the orders at training

Nigel Worthington is demanding goals from his Northern Ireland team tonight.

And he means the whole team!

Liechtenstein come to Windsor Park for a Euro 2008 qualifier with the memory of Northern Ireland's 4-1 win in Vaduz back in March still fresh.

Record goalscorer David Healy scored a hat-trick that night and currently has nine goals in the campaign, 29 in total in 56 games for his country.

Grant McCann scored the fourth goal in that game and is the only other Northern Ireland player to find the net in the last year.

That is a statistic that Worthington is determined to see change in his first game in charge.

"It is great that we have a prolific scorer in David Healy," said Worthington.

"What we need is other people to join in. There are people in the squad who are capable of scoring goals and I will be putting demands on players to take the responsibility for scoring goals rather than passing the buck and not taking the responsibility fully on."

Three points would put Northern Ireland into second place in Group F, a point ahead of Spain and two behind Sweden with all three teams having played seven matches.

"The chance to go second in the group is a big incentive and I have said that to the players," said Worthington.

He added: "The opportunity is immense. We will respect Liechtenstein, but we have a job to do and we have to be very professional."

Healy has been passed fit to play despite an injury scare, but Tony Capaldi has returned to Cardiff City as the hip problem he picked up at the weekend failed to respond to treatment.

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