City defender McConville duels with Mbappe, Olise and Dembele

Norwich City defender Ruairi McConville was in high class company for Northern Ireland's 3-1 friendly defeat to a star-studded France in Lille on Monday night.

McConville played the full 90 minutes but Bayern Munich's Michael Olise scored a hat-trick as Kylian Mbappe and co warmed up for their World Cup bid with a winning swansong on home soil.

Patrick Kelly briefly gave Michael O'Neill's visitors hope after Olise had struck twice in six minutes either side of half-time.

But the €150m rated wide player underlined why he is one of the hottest properties in world football with a stunning curling effort to seal the victory for Didier Deschamps' squad in front of 43,000 fans.

McConville started at the centre of a Northern Irish defence facing Mbappe, Olise and Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League winning duo Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue.

France's strength in depth was underlined with second half introductions for Manchester City's Rayan Cherki, Bradley Barcola and Chelsea's Malo Gusto.

McConville was kept busy by the side ranked third in the world, who had 67pc possession and 24 shots on goal.

The young City defender was part of a Northern Ireland starting XI with an average age of just 22.6.

But O'Neill's battlers got some reward for a spirited display in the 64th minute when Kelly, the 21-year-old making only his second international start, turned in a Shea Charles cross, silencing the crowd to deliver on O’Neill’s plea for his players to act as “badly-behaved guests” at France’s going-away party.

Northern Ireland almost created an early chance for Isaac Price but, as smoke from the pre-match fireworks hung over the pitch under the closed roof of Lille’s Stade Pierre Mauroy stadium, the pattern was set with action concentrated at the other end.

Mbappe curled a shot narrowly wide before Doue’s tame effort was gathered by Pierce Charles.

Northern Ireland broke as Price crossed for Kelly, who peeled away to make space but hit a low shot just wide of a post.

With 20 minutes gone, Aurelien Tchouameni’s low shot from distance struck a post. Doue picked up the rebound and crossed for Mbappe to finish, but the flag was up against the Paris St Germain winger.

With every passing minute O’Neill’s men were growing in confidence and stature and they threatened again when Shea Charles’ superb pass almost fell for Kelly in front of goal.

Instead France got the breakthrough two minutes before half-time. Doue’s cross found Dembele and when his shot was blocked Olise slotted in.

Jamie Donley poked home for Northern Ireland in first-half stoppage time, but McConville was adjudged to have pushed Theo Hernandez as he beat him to Price’s cross.

Three minutes into the second half it was 2-0. Pierce Charles could not hold substitute Gusto’s cross and when Trai Hume blocked Hernandez’s header it fell for Olise to rifle home.

Mbappe, one shy of Olivier Giroud’s record of 57 goals for France, hooked a shot over from Hernandez’s cross before Maxence Lacroix was equally wasteful from a similar position.

As the home chances piled up, Northern Ireland then hit France on the counter-attack.

Justin Devenny’s pass found the run of Shea Charles, who got the better of Dayot Upamecano before playing in a low ball for Kelly to tuck home.

Mbappe fired over again before Olise killed the contest with the pick of the goals, cutting in off the right and curling a shot into the far corner, and Northern Ireland defended doggedly to ensure there was no further damage.

France begin their bid for a third World Cup trophy against Senegal on June 16. Iraq and Norway complete Group I.