Netball World Cup countdown

The youngest player in the Northern Ireland netball squad competing in the 2019 World Cup, says the opportunity to represent her country is a 'dream come true.'

Michelle Magee will play alongside her sister Emma at the competition which gets underway on Friday.

The Loughborough University student told Downtown Cool FM she has been aspiring to compete on a world stage from a young age:

"It's amazing, obviously when you grow up playing netball this is something that you dream of doing and this is your target.

"It's so good to be able to finally do it."

Northern Ireland take on World Champions Australia in their opening game in the competition on Friday.

The side are currently ranked eighth in the world and although they are faced with a huge challenge, Michelle says they'll put up a good fight:

"For us, we're just looking to put in good performances, we can't control what other people put out against us, all we can control is what we put on the court."

Former Manchester Thunder boss and Aussie Dan Ryan joined the squad at the helm before Christmas.

19-year-old Michelle said the new head coach has breathed new life into the squad:

"It was really exciting to get him in, we had a few retirements in the squad and it was important to get something new, something fresh in.

"We're moving forward with a lot more tools and we can't wait to show it on court."