It’s come at short notice and, ostensibly, knowing a spanner was thrown into his works, but Michael O’Neill has thrown a few more young guns into the Northern Ireland fold.
Injury has hit his existing panel before the clashes with Finland and Denmark – the respective penultimate and final rounds of Euro 2024 qualifying – and, as such, the manager has dipped into the Under-21s to fill some gaping voids.
After handing former Linfield youngster and current Rangers ace Ross McCausland an opportunity to star, and following news that Paddy Lane and Brad Lyons had failed to reach full fitness in time after sustaining calf knocks – likewise shot-stopper Bailey Peacock-Farrell from a knee blow – a quartet of uncapped talents have come into the squad for this final double-header.
In Peacock-Farrell’s place, young Fleetwood Town goalkeeper Stephen McMullan received his maiden first-team call-up, while defender Michael Forbes and midfield duo Terry Devlin and Caolan Boyd-Munce have also been introduced.
That dreaded ‘i’ word has been a running theme throughout Northern Ireland’s qualifying crusade, and it has hampered operations.
At this stage, though, with aspirations of qualifying for the Finals all but over after a dismal run of results and the shackles off, giving the next generation their shot hardly seems a bad avenue to go down.
The nation won’t be represented in Germany next summer, but thoughts must turn to the challenges to come.
Irish League connections are palpable here. 2004-born McMullan broke through as a mere 15-year-old at Warrenpoint Town and is now set to become the first Milltown graduate to play for the senior Northern Ireland side, while St Mirren’s Boyd-Munce and Portsmouth’s Devlin both count Glentoran within their roots.
The latter, who departed the Glens as a fan favourite a few months ago, switched to a full-time environment in east Belfast in the summer of 2022 from the club that made him, Dungannon Swifts – the same outfit that refined West Ham teen Forbes, who has been a regular within the London team’s reserve set-up.
These are gifted footballers who have all made positive strides in their career. They are also testament to the unavoidable notion that the Irish League has a significant part to play in forming the base for a new Northern Ireland era.
Giving them a crack at the whip as the weight of expectation is lifted would be wise indeed. The experience will do them wonders.
Let’s face it, a fresh dawn is upon us. Injury has cast doubt over Steven Davis’ future playing prospects, while Craig Cathcart has recently retired and Jonny Evans, while still a dedicated servant, will be 36 in January.
It is easy to be doom and gloom that we’ve long since said auf wiedersehen to any hopes of qualification, but O’Neill can’t afford to dwell when there are stars of the future bursting to shoot through.
Four more of them are likely to fulfil a dream in the next few days. And that’s win-win for all concerned.
Featured image from Jonathan Porter/Press Eye.
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