Laura Rafferty: How defender is a ‘natural’ leader for Northern Ireland

However, as Oxtoby explains, her relationship with Rafferty goes back to the defender’s time at Bristol City in 2020.

“We worked together at Bristol and she was going through a really difficult time at that point,” Oxtoby said.

“The character that she showed at that point, in terms of her application and willingness to want to do every single little thing right on and off the pitch, to be able to have difficult conversations and be able to move forward in a positive way, for me that gave me a really good understanding of who she is as a person.

“I feel like Raff and Marissa complement each other really well, with their leadership styles and what they bring to the group.

“We have got so many leaders in this group. To have Raff lead from the back when Marissa is not on the pitch, it’s just a natural thing for me.”

While Callaghan and Rafferty have worn the armband, Oxtoby added that all the experienced players have a leadership role to play in the development of her young squad.

“I know what I’m going to get from Raff. Even in a bad game I know what I’m going to get, it’s still a seven out of 10. I know I’m going to get the effort, the application and the communication.

“It’s also about the things she does off the pitch, in terms of a high-performing environment.

“We’ve a really good group of maybe five or six more experienced players, who bring that to the fore so the younger players know what the expectations are. Raff is one of those.”