As Michael McArdle sits down for an interview with BBC Sport at Windsor Park, he’s as relaxed as they come.

The Scot had just announced his squad for the World Cup play-off with Portugal, for what will be the biggest game of his managerial career to date.

McArdle has only been in the Northern Ireland hot seat since March, when he was announced as Tanya Oxtoby’s permanent successor, but has more than 25 years of experience working in football.

There’s a clear passion for what he is doing, as he balances the reality of playing one of Europe’s top-ranked sides with the dreams of reaching a first World Cup just months into his new role.

But there is one word that keeps cropping up across various topics – family.

McArdle was born and bred in Moodiesburn to the east of Glasgow, and still lives there to this day.

He met his wife, Tammy, in the village when they were both on the same paper round at the age of 12, and they have now been married for 28 years.

He has three children, Connor, Mya and Cole, and is about to become a grandad for the first time. It’s clear how much his family means to him.

But when he talks about family, it’s not just in terms of his own life. It is an embodiment of what he is trying to achieve with Northern Ireland.

“Family’s crucial to me. We’re all a family when we represent the country,” he said.

“That’s a family of players and a family of staff, but also as an ecosystem and domestic game.

“We’re all the one family when we’re together and that’s a message that will always be strong while I’m at the helm.”

If Northern Ireland are to make it to their first World Cup in Brazil then there are a number of hurdles they will need to clear.

It would perhaps surpass even the fairytale of qualifying for Euro 2022, when Kenny Shiels led a squad largely made up of amateur players to the promised land.

A change in format has made replicating that feat more difficult, and if Northern Ireland can beat Portugal over two legs then they will face Croatia or, more likely, Iceland.

The Portuguese and Iceland have beaten Northern Ireland over the past two years or so – both quite convincingly.

Even if McArdle’s young squad can defy the odds, they will likely face an additional inter-continental play-off in February due to their rankings. It’s a tall order.

But that does not stop McArdle and Northern Ireland from dreaming. If anything, it is to be encouraged.

“I think the dream piece is crucial, so we’ve dreamed about how we get there and what it’ll feel like when we do it.

“The other piece of it is the reality. We know it’s a highly challenging task first of all to get through Portugal.”

McArdle talks about moments within matches, and working with his staff to plan for in-game scenarios.

There’s also the excitement that comes with such a big match, and McArdle admits he is “loving” his time in charge.

“You look forward to every game but it’s one of those ties that gives you the opportunity to test yourself at the highest level.

“Also the excitement of possibly achieving something and punching above our weight, which we’re special at doing.”

In his career in football, McArdle has held a number of coaching, academy and development positions.

Before he joined Northern Ireland, he was head of elite women’s football at the Scottish FA, and also had a brief interim spell in charge of their senior team.

While the belief is there, McArdle knows he is working on something longer-term, and that can be seen in the make-up of a young squad, which has been hit by a number of injuries to senior players.

While his first two international windows came in quick succession, with two victories over Malta followed by losses to Turkey and Switzerland, the summer has allowed him to spend time around the Women’s Premiership in Northern Ireland, building relationships with players and those working in the league.

“I was still getting to know them as people, not as footballers, so that was really important for me to build those relationships.

“Not just the players, either. Getting to know the head coaches a bit more and some of the clubs at boardroom level, to understand how can I serve them and help the club evolution, the domestic league and pathways as well.”

While captain Simone Magill is a big loss for the play-offs, she will be with the group for the camp as she builds towards a return to action and provide experience to what is a young group of players.

Not only that, but she will have her newborn daughter, Skye, with her for the duration. McArdle says having those moments are “special”.

“Having Simone, Mark and Skye on camp is great. First of all for Simone and Mark to experience what the future is like when Simone’s representing Northern Ireland.

“It gives us that window of opportunity and it’s something we’ve planned together over the summer months.

“I think that’s crucial because it’s one thing knowing the players and the girls that represent us, but also the families that support them as well.

“I’m very passionate about that and I don’t underestimate the power of it.”

Given the themes throughout, it’s no surprise what drives McArdle.

He grew up idolising the likes of Kenny Dalglish, who once was a loan player from Celtic at Cumbernauld United juniors near where he grew up.

His coaching influences are close to home too, and he cites Michael O’Halloran, a youth coach in Glasgow, and Sir Alex Ferguson, who was a “god” coming from the east end of the city.

Further afield, the likes of Arrigo Sacchi – whose AC Milan side he used to watch on VHS in the 90s – Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez have all factored into his thinking.

“What drew me towards Sacchi, Mourinho and Benitez was not just the tactical side of the game, but how they managed it and their leadership.

“They didn’t play professionally and it kind of aligned with myself, although I didn’t realise at the time.”

But it’s in Moodiesburn where his DNA is, and it is the values he learned there that have shaped him into the coach he is today.

“Growing up in the village and growing up as a family I was always going to care for people and be in a service role.

“It was always going to be my calling. I’m just blessed that football has given me the opportunity to develop a knowledge and skill set to work at the highest level of an industry.”

McArdle’s passion for football is clear, but family also plays a role in helping him escape the demands of the job.

He goes to the theatre with his daughter, Mya, or to the cinema or concerts with Tammy.

A sports fan, he also goes and watches his sons play football, without the stresses of management and coaching.

“Representing my family is everything to me.

“We’ve stayed in the same village all our lives. You represent the village as well and that becomes a big piece of what we do.

“So those aspects of family fuel you.”