Paul Smyth has told his Northern Ireland team-mates to embrace their underdog status in Thursday's World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final against Italy (7.45pm Irish time).
Four-time world champions Italy have failed to qualify for the last two World Cups but are ranked sixth in the world, 48 places above Michael O’Neill’s side, and are odds-on favourites to prevail in Bergamo and set up a play-off final against either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina.
That does not worry QPR forward Smyth.
"Everyone in Northern Ireland is an underdog really because of how small the country is, but I don’t think people realise how big of a fight we have and much passion we have, and how eager we are to prove people wrong," Smyth said.
"If we execute the game plan that we have, then who knows? Who’s to say we’re not going to end up playing that final play-off for the World Cup?"
Josh Magennis and Paddy McNair are the only survivors from the squad O’Neill took to Euro 2016, but Smyth – then still a teenager – was in France a decade ago to help during training and said that taste of a big tournament helped drive his career.
"I was actually able to experience that feeling of how they felt before the game, how they felt in training, how they felt after the games," he said.
"I wasn't a professional back then, I was still at Linfield, but I could see what it meant and what it felt like, and I just thought, 'I want this’.
"It drove me to become a professional footballer and to get chances like this."
For a largely young squad still gaining experience, managing emotions will be key with a mix of nerves and excitement inevitable.
"The butterflies are all happening, you know how big the game is for the nation, but until that day you don't know how it’s going to feel," Smyth (above) added.
"I try and downplay it and just be excited, to be vocal and sing and dance, just try to be me, because if I don’t then I’m a ball of nerves and I’ll sit in the corner and overthink it, put pressure on myself.
"I like to keep myself active, keep busy, do all the things you need to do to prep and then just enjoy the moment."
Smyth joined up with Northern Ireland on the back of a brace in QPR’s 6-1 rout of Portsmouth, the second of back-to-back wins that have come after a four-game losing run which included defeat by Blackburn in O’Neill’s first game in charge of Rovers alongside his international duties.
"He got the better of me in that one!" Smyth added. "They were good on the day and I think that was his first game in charge, so everyone knows what it’s like when you’ve got a new manager…
"It’s never happened to me before, I’ve never had an international manager come over to club level… I’ve never seen it happen and personally I have nothing against it.
"That’s what Michael wants to do and he got an opportunity to do it and that was the choice he made, but I’m sure he’s come here fully focused on what he has ahead of him now."
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