Paddy McCourt and Celtic and Northern Ireland team-mate Niall McGinn are both ensuring their friendly rivalry can help them flourish for club and country. McCourt replaced McGinn as a second-half substitute during Northern Ireland's 1-0 friendly defeat by Serbia on Saturday.

Those roles were reversed in Celtic's recent 3-0 win over Kilmarnock as the pair vie for a place in Tony Mowbray's midfield.

"I am 100% competing with him because we both play in the same position and we both came over from Derry," McCourt said.

"But we have got a great relationship, we are great friends off the park.

"When we go away with Celtic, we room together, and when we go away with Northern Ireland, we room together.

"So it's a friendly rivalry and we both push each other on.

"I just hope we both make a great career for ourselves, both with Celtic and Northern Ireland."

The 25-year-old added: "There are four of us, there's Aiden and Shaun as well.

"The manager said whoever is going to be on form out the four of us will play.

"It's definitely not just between me and Niall, there are four wide men and whoever is on form will get the nod."