Devenny Postpones Vacation to Focus on International Duty Following European Glory

Justin Devenny has recently celebrated a major milestone with Crystal Palace, securing the UEFA Conference League title, yet the defender is far from ready to trade his medals for a beach holiday. The Northern Ireland international has now collected three honors in the last twelve months. This latest European success follows his role in helping the club win the FA Cup the previous season and his decisive penalty in the Community Shield victory over Liverpool this past August.

The European triumph marked a high note for head coach Oliver Glasner as he concluded his tenure. For Devenny, the achievement was significant. "It was a great experience to win a major trophy," Devenny remarked. "I thought the boys were great and thought we fully deserved it throughout the full competition. The celebrations were great as well, I enjoyed it."

However, rather than embarking on an end-of-season break, the 22-year-old is currently training with the Northern Ireland squad. The team is preparing for two friendly matches against Guinea and World Cup participants France. Devenny emphasized that missing these games was never an option. "All I want to do is play football, especially when I've not been playing as much. I've been in and out throughout the season. Any opportunity to get games is great for me and I just want to keep playing and keep building because, at the end of the day, I'm going to get a month off in the off season."

Looking Ahead to the World Cup

Although Northern Ireland failed to qualify for the World Cup following their playoff semi-final loss to Italy, Devenny remains committed to following the tournament. "You can't dwell on it. You think, 'oh, that could be us', but again, it's done and what's in the past is in the past," he explained. "I love watching football, so I'll be watching it and enjoying it - hopefully relaxing somewhere."

Devenny believes the recent heartbreak could serve as a catalyst for future success. Northern Ireland has frequently deployed the youngest starting lineups in the nation's history. "Everyone's excited for what's to come ahead," Devenny noted. "There's plenty of tournaments coming up for us and we'll just have to look ahead and use that as motivation. We felt that heartbreak but what's done is done and I think that will be good for us to use because we don't really want to feel that again."

Learning from the Best

Over the next two years, Northern Ireland is scheduled to face top-tier nations including Spain, France, Italy, and Germany. The latter three opponents will be encountered within an eight-month span. Devenny views these fixtures as crucial developmental opportunities.

"France are probably the best team in the world, so there's a lot to learn," he said. "Throughout your career you want to challenge yourself against the best players and it'll be good to see yourself in and amongst that environment, just to get a feeling of being at the absolute top of the game because they're a team full of superstars. As hard as it's going to be, you need to believe you can compete in any game and at any level."

Stability Under O'Neill

While Devenny faces a managerial change at the club level, there is continuity at the international level. Michael O'Neill has extended his contract with Northern Ireland until 2032. Devenny expressed his satisfaction with this decision, particularly after O'Neill’s dual role with Blackburn Rovers concluded for the second half of the season.

"I think you see that and he does put his trust in the boys. The boys, every single one of us, put our trust in each other and I think that helps a lot," Devenny said regarding the manager-player dynamic. "You need to be happy, you need to be confident, you need to be playing with freedom and the gaffer allows us to do that." He added that the squad's cohesion is vital: "Everyone always talks about togetherness in football and I think it is so important because that build..."

Match Details: * Fixture: Northern Ireland vs Guinea * Date: Thursday, 4 June * Time: 17:00 BST * Broadcast: Watch live on BBC Two NI and BBC iPlayer; listen on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster; live text commentary available on the BBC Sport app and website.

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Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-02 17:52:11 UTC