Grant McCann has an extra special reason to want to celebrate tonight.

The Northern Ireland midfielder had been booked on an early flight tomorrow with his pregnant wife Kelly booked in for induction.

McCann got a bit of surprise news just hours before Saturday’s game with Poland though as baby son Jesse, weighing in at 8lb 9oz, put in an early appearance.

“I’d spoken to Kelly at about nine o’clock and everything was fine,” said Grant.

“Then she rang at ten to 12 Polish time to tell me she’d just had the baby. I never slept a wink after that.

“I’d a funny feeling that as soon as I went to Poland something would happen, but even if we’d been at home or if I’d been away somewhere with Scunthorpe I still wouldn’t have made it.”

McCann nipped back to England for a whirlwind 24 trip after flying back from Poland, but is now back with the Northern Ireland squad and fully focused on tonight’s Windsor Park clash with Slovakia.

“We’ve a good home record and it’s been nice to score in a couple of games at Windsor lately,” said McCann.

“I’d like to be able to do the Bebeto celebration from the 1994 World Cup tonight.”