Oxford united FC
Oxford United star previews Northern Ireland play-off against Italy
Northern Ireland play their one-legged semi-final against the Azzurri on Thursday evening, with four U’s players involved in the camp.
Should they shock the footballing world and beat Italy, the Green and White Army would qualify for their first World Cup since 1986 and first major tournament since the 2016 European Championships.
“It’s obviously massive pressure going away with Northern Ireland in general because you’re playing for you country but there’s even more pressure on it in terms of, you’re playing to qualify for a World Cup,” Brown declared.
“We’d obviously be going into that game as an underdog, so I think, in that sense, it maybe takes a bit of pressure off you.”
The centre back is not the only United player in the Northern Ireland setup, with Jamie McDonnell, Jamie Donley, and Brodie Spencer all also called up for the semi-final and potential final next week.
“It’s nice,” Brown continued.
“Familiar faces round Oxford but when you go away, you’ve got your teammates from Oxford at Northern Ireland, so it’s a nice thing.
“All the boys get on so well for Northern Ireland. There will be times where obviously us four would be together, and there would be times where we’re all separated into different groups.”
The 28-year-old is playing many an important at present for both club and country.
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Whilst aiming for an historic triumph with his country, Brown is also a key part of the U’s relegation dogfight, with seven crucial games remaining after the international break.
“I always kind of separate the both of them,” the London-born defender contemplated.
“If you perform at club level then you get called up and hopefully get to represent Northern Ireland, but I try and separate the both [and think that] Oxford is kind of done for the next week and a half and now it’s Northern Ireland.
“It would be hard to be in Northern Ireland thinking about Oxford, and it’s hard to think about Northern Ireland when you’ve got a game for Oxford.”
Similarly to his experiences with the Yellows, Brown and his compatriots go into the Italy game as firm underdogs, despite the Azzurri not having qualified for a World Cup since 2014.
If Northern Ireland win on Thursday, they would face one of Wales or Bosnia & Herzegovina in the play-off final, with Brown and co. potentially facing U’s teammate and Welsh striker Mark Harris.
The 35-year-old was appointed into his first head coach role in June, taking over at United from Matt Bloomfield after retiring from professional football in April.
Ramsey has enjoyed a successful start to his tenure in OX4 so far, securing four wins from four pre-season fixtures, including a 2-0 victory over Premier League side Ipswich Town.
The former Gunners midfielder has also had to manage the squad amidst a temporary transfer ban which sees Oxford unable to register any new player until they prove compliance with the EFL’s Squad Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) regulations.
The ex-Wales international played under some world-renowned managers during his successful playing career in the likes of Wenger, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery and former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.
“Arsene was a huge part of the success that I had as a player,” the Yellows head coach detailed after the pre-season win over Ipswich.
“And obviously, I took so much from him as well, from the manager side of things.
“But I’ve been very lucky and blessed to have played for some really good managers over the years, which I’ve taken little bits from as well.
“So, yes, I wouldn’t just say it’s all him, but definitely he’s formed part of that.”
Similarly to Wenger, Ramsey possesses a calm demeanour on the touchline, more often than not on the edge of his technical area with the occasional instruction directed at a player or the team as a whole.
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He is visibly calm and contemplative, something which he himself acknowledges.
“I think that’s me as a player, though. I’ve always been quite calm and comfortable in situations. So for me, that’s the way that I am.
“And I want my players to feel that and to feel like they can go out there and express themselves.
“So, yes, when they play like that [against Ipswich], it does make it a lot easier for me on the side lines.
“I think we need to be confident in what we’re trying to do for us to be able to really showcase exactly what we can do.
“It’s that confidence which is important without stepping over the line, but we need to embrace that.”
The U’s begin their campaign this Saturday with a Carabao Cup clash with League One rivals Leyton Orient.
Ramsey will be hoping his side can take the confidence and impressive performances from pre-season into the competitive campaign.
League action begins a week later, with the Yellows hosting newly-promoted MK Dons at the Kassam on the opening day.
The U’s return to the third tier after a two-year stay in the Championship, suffering relegation last term with a 22nd-placed finish under Matt Bloomfield.
The club revealed their new home strip last month and have worn it twice during pre-season when they beat Crawley Town 3-1 and Ipswich Town 2-0 at the Kassam Stadium.
Oxford’s away kit was released with a video on social media titled ‘Performance Inspires’, the shirt being inspired by Oxford’s performing arts, with a ballet performance filmed at Oxford New Theatre.
The video is soundtracked by a reimagined take on Oxford band Foals’ song ‘What Went Down’.
The shirt is available to buy online and in-store.
The 32-year-old midfielder joined United in 2024 and played 88 games for the club, scoring two goals.
His last goal for the club came in the final home game of last season, a 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
On 14 January 2025, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 league draw away against Plymouth Argyle.
He will now join Tranmere who are in League Two.
The Wales international did not make any senior appearances for Tranmere in his first spell but has signed a two-year deal with the club.
The U’s are in the midst of a temporary transfer embargo and will not currently be able to replace the midfielder.
As well as his contributions on the pitch, Vaulks was also a pioneer in the Oxfordshire community, using his personal story to establish the award-winning Can We Talk? suicide prevention campaign.
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He introduced a suicide prevention check-in app for staff, delivered training to employees and supporters, and led workshops across the county, including at RAF Brize Norton.
He was nationally and internationally recognised for his campaigning, winning awards including the FIFPRO Player Voice and was recently named PFA Community Player of the Year.
Vaulks made seven appearances for Wales, his most recent coming in a 1-1 draw with Czechia in 2022.
Oxford United begin their League One campaign next week with a home clash against MK Dons after suffering relegation from the second tier last season.
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