Northern Ireland has a fine tradition in international games, playing with pride and passion on the big stage of the beautiful game.
Over the years, Northern Ireland has recorded some massive results, sometimes against all odds. Certain individual players have been relatively prolific for the Northern Irish national team. However, who has been the most prolific in the national team’s history?
David Healy (36 goals in 95 appearances from 2000-2013)
The former Preston North End forward is the most prolific player that Northern Ireland has ever produced. His goal record of 36 goals in 95 international appearances is a highly creditable one.
At 20, the forward’s international career got off to an excellent start as he scored a brace on his debut against Luxembourg in 2000.
In qualifying for Euro2008, Healy broke a goalscoring record by scoring 13 goals, a feat no player had previously achieved in a European Championships qualification campaign. Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku has since usurped him.
When Healy hung up his playing boots, he returned home to his first club, Linfield, to become manager. Healy has since achieved great success and, at the time of writing, is still in the role.
Kyle Lafferty (20 goals in 89 appearances from 2006–2022)
The giant forward enjoyed a long career at international level, making his debut in 2006 and ending his international career 16 years later in 2022. During his international career, he scored 20 goals in 89 appearances for his national team.
Lafferty opened his goalscoring account in 2007, scoring in a friendly game in Finland. However, his most important goals were the seven he scored in Euro2016 qualifying, as his team topped their qualifying group and made history by making it to the European Championships for the first time.
Lafferty’s last international goal came in a World Cup 2018 qualifier in November 2016, as he netted in a 4-0 home win over Azerbaijan.
Billy Gillespie (13 goals in 25 appearances from 1913–1932)
Although born in the Republic of Ireland, Gillespie represented Northern Ireland or just Ireland as the national team was referred to until the 1954 World Cup.
The forward opened his goalscoring account in the international game with a brace over England in a 2-1 Home Nations Championship victory. It was his country’s first against England.
He also helped Ireland win the 2014 Home Nations Championship, as they recorded wins over England and Wales, as well as a draw against Scotland.
England were Gillespie’s favourite opponents, as seven of his 13 international goals came against the Three Lions.
Colin Clarke (13 goals in 38 appearances from 1986–1993)
The ex-Peterborough United and Portsmouth forward made his international debut in the games running up to the 1986 World Cup. He opened his goalscoring account in April 1986, scoring in a 2-1 friendly win over Morocco in his third international appearance.
He featured in all three of Northern Ireland’s games at the 86’ World Cup, scoring once against Spain in a 2-1 loss.
Although Clarke never had the honour of playing in another major international competition, he did achieve some highlights in his spell with Northern Ireland.
For instance, in September 1991, against the Faroe Islands, Clarke became the first Northern Ireland player to score a hat-trick since the great George Best in 1971.
Steven Davis (13 goals in 140 appearances from 2005–2022)
The midfielder enjoyed a long playing career at both club and international levels. The former Rangers ace has the distinction of being Northern Ireland’s most-capped player, having picked up an incredible 140 caps in his career.
Davis made his full international debut in a 1-0 friendly debut against Canada. His first Northern Ireland goal came in his eighth cap, in a 3-2 World Cup 2006 qualifying defeat against Wales.
The midfielder scored in a 3-1 win over Greece in qualifying for Euro2016 as his team finished top of their group to qualify for their maiden European Championships. Davis was then part of their European Championship squad.
Joe Bambrick (12 goals in 11 appearances from 1928–1940)
The Belfast-born forward was prolific at both the club and international levels. Bambrick opened his goalscoring account for his country in October 1928 in a 2-1 defeat against England.
The highlight of his international career came when he scored six of Northern Ireland’s seven goals against Wales in February 1930 in a British Home Championship encounter. Bambrick has the best goal-per-ratio record of any of the players on our list.
Gerry Armstrong (12 goals in 63 appearances from 1977–1986)
Armstrong made his Northern Ireland debut in April 1977, as he lined up alongside George Best in a 5-0 friendly hammering against West Germany.
The former Spurs star was part of the Northern Ireland team that qualified for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. He scored twice in the opening group stage to help his team make it to the next round while also scoring in a 4-1 defeat against France that saw his team’s World Cup journey end.
During his playing career, Armstrong won the British Home Championship on two occasions, in 1980 and 1984.
Jimmy Quinn (12 goals in 46 appearances from 1984–1995)
Born in the country’s capital, Belfast, Quinn enjoyed an 11-year international career for Northern Ireland.
Quinn’s first international goal came in a 1984 friendly 3-0 home win over Israel in Belfast. He helped his country’s national team qualify for the 1986 World Cup and was a part of the squad for the tournament.
He also scored goals in several World Cup and European Championship qualifying campaigns, although World Cup 86’ was the only tournament in which he featured for Northern Ireland.
Iain Dowie (12 goals in 59 appearances from 1990–1999)
The big striker enjoyed a nine-year international career with Northern Ireland despite being born in Hertfordshire. However, his dad was born in Belfast, qualifying Dowie to represent the country’s national team.
Dowie scored his maiden international goal in October 1991, as Northern Ireland recorded a 2-1 win over Austria in a Euro1992 qualifier. His last strike came nine years later, as he scored in a 2-2 home draw against Moldova in a Euro2000 qualifier.
