Northern Ireland: Michael O’Neill ‘desperate’ to see more NI players in Premier League

“Game time is a challenge. It’s always been a little bit of a challenge for Northern Ireland squads.”

Since Michael O’Neill’s return as Northern Ireland manager in 2022, when he inherited a much younger squad than the one he had taken to Euro 2016 during his first stint, he has consistently stressed the need for his players to be playing as often as possible at as high a level as possible.

As such, the final weekend of the domestic seasons in England and Scotland could prove important for his international squad.

While the likes of Callum Marshall, Jamie Donley and Dale Taylor are on the books of Premier League teams, with that trio having spent the season on loan in League One, just two players in O’Neill’s 26-man squad for friendlies against Denmark and Iceland next month featured in England’s top tier this season.

Liverpool’s Conor Bradley picked up a Premier League winners’ medal, with Crystal Palace’s Justin Devenny doing likewise in the FA Cup.

However, citing the challenging experience of facing Alexander Isak in defeat by Sweden in March, O’Neill knows regular exposure to such talents would be hugely beneficial.

“In the past, we would have had more players playing their club football at a higher level,” he said.

“If you look back to the team that went to the Euros, there was probably maybe as many as six, seven, eight players playing at Premier League level and had played at that level for quite a number of years, most of their career, if not all of their career.

“This group are not there yet, let’s be honest, and they’re playing their club football at a slightly lower level.”