Gerry Taggart: 'Northern Ireland deserve to reach Euro 2016'

Former Northern Ireland footballer Gerry Taggart has praised the current national team's lineup, believing that they deserve to reach Euro 2016 for bringing back memories of the side's last tournament qualification.

Michael O'Neill's team is just one win away from reaching next year's finals in France as they sit top of Group F, four points ahead of third-placed Hungary with three games to go.

The last time that Northern Ireland took part in the finals of an international tournament was in 1986, when Billy Bingham's side made the World Cup in Mexico.

Taggart told BBC Sport: "The memories this brings back to when we qualified in 1986 is great. For those memories to return will be immense if it happens.

"You can't overstate the importance of us going through. Thirty years is a long time ago. No-one deserves it more than the set of lads out there."

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