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The sun was not only setting over Southampton, but also on Northern Ireland’s Euro 2022 adventure.
Not that you would think it by the scenes in St Mary’s.
After the final whistle of a 5-0 defeat by eventual winners England, Northern Ireland's players and staff gathered in the corner of the pitch, singing and dancing in front of the travelling .
Northern Ireland’s success had been reaching their first major tournament and whatever happened after was a bonus.
Their campaign was over after three matches, but it's very existence was a reason to celebrate.
Rachel Furness was front and centre of it all. A fan favourite, she had found a ‘Green and White Army’ flag and was using it to conduct Northern Ireland’s ers in the stands.
Things looked like they had never been better as she, along with everyone in green, danced and sung long into the night.
A few months previously, Furness had become Northern Ireland's all-time leading goalscorer, been presented with BBC NI's Sports Personality Award by Jurgen Klopp and had helped club side Liverpool to promotion back into the Women's Super League.
From the outside, Furness was having the time of her life.
However, that could not have been further from the truth.
Just over a month after Northern Ireland's joyful exit from the competition, the 35-year-old released a statement making herself unavailable for selection for international duty for the foreseeable future for "personal reasons".
The messages of from friends and team-mates were numerous and immediate, but they were accompanied with a palpable sense of shock.
For Furness though, it had been a long time coming. This is her story.
Furness leads Northern Ireland's celebrations of their first major tournament campaign after defeat by England in their final Euro 2022 group game
"I at a point before the Euros, I was thinking 'can I continue to do this">