Wednesday 6 April 2016 10:37, UK
Reading manager Brian McDermott believes Oliver Norwood can sparkle for Northern Ireland after Reading's 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.
Norwood, 24, helped to set up Reading's equaliser and then scored a spectacular winner in the 2-1 Sky Bet Championship victory over Nottingham Forest at Madejski Stadium.
"Ollie's a great lad," McDermott said. "Some of his play was excellent. He can score, he can pass, he can tackle.
"It was a fabulous shot from him, a great finish. And he's still only young. He's got a lot in front of him. He'll be looking forward to the Euros and will be going there in good form.
"We were good value for our win. How we went in 1-0 down at half-time, I don't know. We just had to keep going, we had to turn it around and we did."
Reading began the brighter in the mid-table scrap and Yann Kermorgant twice went close with headers, both from Jordan Obita crosses.
Ben Osborn forced a good save from home goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi from a fierce 30-yard effort but made no mistake in the 41st minute, when tucking in Henri Lansbury's incisive pass with a precise cross-shot.
Reading dominated the first half and did so after the break, too. Kermorgant twice went close with two more headers, from Chris Gunter and Obita centres, before the equaliser arrived in the 68th minute.
Norwood's well-struck drive appeared to be going wide but was deflected past Dorus De Vries by substitute Matej Vydra, who had been on the pitch for only seven minutes.
It was Vydra's ninth goal of the season but only third in the league - and the first since scoring in the 3-1 defeat at Forest on November 28.
Reading upped the tempo further and were rewarded with the winner nine minutes from time. Norwood picked up a loose ball 20 yards out and fired home a superb angled drive that flew past De Vries via his far post.
Paul Williams, the Forest head coach, has yet to win in four matches since succeeding the sacked Dougie Freedman last month.
"The first half went the way we wanted but, in the second half, we sat a bit deep," Williams said. "You can't defend for 45 minutes like that. We had to get ourselves higher up the pitch.
"From now until the end of the season, it's going to be a mental battle. We're fine physically, the players are in good shape. But we've got to be mentally strong. If we defend higher up the pitch, then we'll have bodies there and opponents can't shoot from long range.
"We were under the cosh a bit in the second half. We were 1-0 up and tried to defend that for 45 minutes. It just doesn't happen."