Norway did not need to reach Northern Ireland by planes, trains and automobiles, but it was not far away.
The team had planned to fly from Leeds, where they were based, to Belfast, but heavy fog on Wednesday night forced their flight to be cancelled.
After some thought, Gemma Grainger and her star-studded team were on the ferry from Liverpool and arrived at her team’s base on the outskirts of Larne in the early hours of the morning.
“It was probably an unexpected team bond,” Grainger told BBC Sport NI ahead of Friday’s Euro 2025 play-off first leg at Inver Park.
“Sleeping on a ferry was a surprise for us, but we’re here now. Bunk beds and sharing with staff weren’t on the agenda, but everyone really made the most of it.”
“It was late at night, but it was good for the team and we had a lot of laughs.”
Norway captain Maren Mjelde even went so far as to say that the unexpected travel plans “were like a vacation.”
“We had to get here. Of course we would prefer to fly, but I found it easy,” said the 35-year-old former Chelsea defender, who has made more than 170 international appearances.
“I travel on these boats every summer, so it was a vacation feeling. We had a lot of fun and had to make the most of it.
“We have a good team and there has been a positive atmosphere no matter what. I think that makes us stronger, to be honest.”
