The two matches are vital in England's quest to reach Germany 2006 and demand was at such a premium that the Northern Ireland game within five hours of tickets going on sale.

Four days after taking on Lawrie Sanchez's side, England travel north to St. James' Park where they will take on Azerbaijan, who were narrowly beaten by Sven's men back in October thanks to a well-taken Michael Owen goal.

England head Group Six after an excellent start to their bid to reach the Finals in Germany in 2006 and will be aiming to build on the good work with victories in matches in Manchester and Newcastle.

Sven said: "Playing against Northern Ireland at Old Trafford with a sell-out crowd will be fantastic.

"Players always want to play in front of capacity crowds and the fans in Newcastle will also be very important. I hope as many England supporters as possible come and watch the game."

Following a pre-sale to englandfans members, tickets for the Azerbaijan game are now on sale to the general public through the ticketing hotline: 0870 902 0005 or through www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

There is a strict limit of four tickets per person. All tickets are subject to availability, a per ticket booking fee and a per transaction order processing fee.

All tickets are issued subject to the Terms and Conditions of The Football Association.