Evan Ferguson has spoken of the pride he would feel as part of the first Ireland under-21 side to qualify for a major tournament.
Jim Crawford's side will play off against Israel over two legs next month (September 23 and 27) for a place in the European Championship finals.
Ferguson, who is among the younger players involved who are eligible for the following campaign, says there is an urgency to get the job done and make history after the Italy loss in June ended hopes of automatic qualification.
