Chris Brunt: 'Playoff place up for grabs for Northern Ireland'

Chris Brunt has said that Northern Ireland have the best chance to reach a finals tournament in a long time ahead of the start of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

The team will face Greece, Romania, Finland, the Faroe Islands and Hungary, who they play on Sunday, as they try to reach the Euro finals for the first time, having also not qualified for a World Cup since 1986.

The West Bromwich Albion midfielder told Sky Sports News: "It's going to be tough, but with the extra teams going through this time it's got to be the best chance we've had for a long time.

"We've got to be confident. It's important we get off to a good start, but the other teams will be thinking of that as well, especially Greece, given that they were in the World Cup.

"You don't get to the World Cup knockout stages without being a good side, so everyone expects them to qualify but there's second and a playoff place up for grabs."

With 24 places rather than 16 up for grabs at the 2016 event, the top two nations in each group will qualify for the tournament, while the third-placed sides will face a playoff.