Mick McDermott has lived many football lives — from the streets of Belfast to a university scholarship in Rhode Island, through stints in Abu Dhabi and Qatar, a trophy-winning spell at Glentoran, a stint in League of Ireland football, and now a seat in Carlos Queiroz's backroom staff as Ghana's performance co-ordinator at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"To go from Belfast, to Rhode Island, to the Middle East, to Glentoran, to Qatar, to Cobh Ramblers, to Ghana and back to Rhode Island in 30 years is an interesting story," the 52-year-old told BBC Sport NI's Thomas Kane, speaking from Providence — Ghana's World Cup base.

A journey that started in Providence

The choice of Rhode Island as Ghana's base is no coincidence for McDermott, who studied at the University of Rhode Island on a football scholarship, met his wife Karla there, and spent six years in the state before his coaching career took him across the globe.

"I lived in Rhode Island, I played football at the university on a scholarship. Karla played volleyball, that's where we met and got married," he recalled. "I haven't been back in a long time. It's a small world."

McDermott had been training to become a school teacher when a coaching role at the University of Oregon changed everything. "I took a coaching role at the University of Oregon and from there, out of the blue, through a connection, I got the offer to go to Abu Dhabi and it changed my life," he said.

A decade-long partnership with Queiroz

McDermott's alliance with Queiroz stretches back to 2011, when a mutual contact — his former head coach in the USL, who also served as Queiroz's long-term goalkeeper coach — brought them together. McDermott was already working in Abu Dhabi when the two met in Doha and agreed to take on Iran together.

That partnership has since spanned Iran twice, Qatar, and now Ghana — with McDermott stepping away in between to win an Irish Cup with Glentoran and manage Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland First Division.

"Here we are again, another brilliant project with a brilliant football nation. It's an opportunity I don't think anyone can say no to," he said of the Ghana role.

A rushed build-up, a winning start

Queiroz was appointed in April, but the coaching staff did not have access to their full 26-man squad until 30 May. Ghana had just one full training session before drawing 1-1 with Wales on 2 June — with the squad list already submitted before that friendly — then flew to the United States the following day.

Despite those constraints, Ghana opened their Group L campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto, decided by a 95th-minute winner from Caleb Yirenkyi. McDermott attributed much of that success to the squad's extraordinary team spirit.

"The night before we played Panama, they had a prayer and a song. The song went from the pitch, carried on for the 30-minute bus ride to the hotel, and once they got going they got going — it went on for an hour and a half. My foot started tapping!" he said.

England next — and Ghana are not afraid

Ghana's second Group L fixture pits them against England in Foxborough. McDermott acknowledges the Three Lions' quality, pointing to their 4-2 win over Croatia as evidence of their firepower, but he believes the pressure is now on England after Ghana secured their opening win.

"Our boys play for big clubs and in big games. We're not overawed going to play England — the boys have belief. When the curtain opens you have to dance and I think the boys are more than capable of getting a result," he said.

Central to Ghana's attacking threat is Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo, a 35-cap international who McDermott describes as one of the most explosive players he has ever worked with. "In terms of his football talent, he's probably as explosive a player I've seen to go from a jog to full tilt — he's really powerful. He has the ability, if he's on his game, to hurt any full-back in the world."

McDermott adds that Ghana possess five or six players with that same blistering pace — weapons he believes can trouble any side in the tournament.