Northern Ireland and Wales set for emotional Euro 2016 draw
Saturday 12 December 2015 17:58, UK
Who do Northern Ireland and Wales want to get in Saturday's Euro 2016 draw? Gemma Davies gets the lowdown from inside their camps with Sky Sports News HQ.
"In the words of the Sky Sports commentary when we qualified: 'We've waited a generation for this!'", Patrick Nelson, chief executive of the Irish FA, says.
"I've got the same emotions as everyone in our country. We're still getting used to it!"
It certainly isn't difficult to see how much it means to Northern Ireland to be in Paris for the Euro 2016 draw.
"We've waited 30 years for this," Nelson adds. "Look at Michael O'Neill's achievement - we are the first team to win a group from Pot Five. It's been 14 tournaments since we've qualified... others haven't managed that."
Wales are in a similar position as another of the nations who have never reached this tournament before.
"I got a Christmas card that said Santa has had three million requests for tickets for the Euros - and only nine for train sets," Jonathan Ford, the FAW chief executive, says.
"The reality is dawning. We're here in Paris. I couldn't sleep last night."
But don't let this excitement make you think these two nations are just content to be here. Both qualified automatically and are determined to make sure this isn't a one-off.
Wales manager Chris Coleman believes this is just the start of something big and said: "We're on dangerous ground. We mustn't just think we're happy to be here - that would be failure.
"It has to be about how we build up and go forward. This team is in the ascendancy, we're still climbing."
It's the same for the Irish FA.
"We have set out a strategy to qualify for more tournaments. We need new, young elite players," says Nelson. "We hope it won't be another 30 years."
So what's the dream draw for the Euro debutants?
"We'd rather avoid England," says Coleman. "We don't want distractions in the group stage, we'd prefer to keep our focus on getting out of the group. But to play them in the final would be nice!"
And the Northern Irish aren't too keen on getting England either.
"We'd love to play France in the opener," Nelson says. "Other than that, we'll take the draw, prepare well and give a good account of ourselves."
The expanded 24-team tournament was designed to help some of the so-called smaller nations, but Northern Ireland didn't even need that assistance. They were group winners and would have been in France, regardless of the new format.
Coleman also has a warning for the likes of Spain, Germany, Portugal, England and Belgium that they shouldn't take Wales lightly.
"We know we have to be at our best. But whoever faces us knows they'll have to be at their best too."
Follow the Euro 2016 draw on Sky Sports News HQ or via our live blog on skysports.com and the Sky Sports apps.
