Northern Eire supervisor Michael O’Neill mentioned it’s “very constructive” for his aspect to have one other participant that includes within the Premier League after Callum Marshall’s senior West Ham debut on Saturday.
The 20-year-old striker was introduced on for the ultimate half hour of his aspect’s 2-0 defeat by Arsenal on the Emirates.
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Talking after the sport, the Hammers’ new supervisor Nuno Espirito Santo mentioned Marshall undoubtedly has one thing his aspect “can use” throughout the rest of the season.
Northern Eire face Slovakia in a key 2026 World Cup qualifier at Windsor Park on Friday night time with Marshall changing into the fifth totally different participant in O’Neill’s squad to characteristic in England’s high flight this season.
“There’s rather a lot happening there for a younger participant to cope with however Callum’s very targeted, very pushed and trains extraordinarily arduous and needs to do properly,” mentioned O’Neill of a participant who had mortgage spells at West Bromwich Albion and Huddersfield City over the previous two seasons.
“[He] is impatient, which you count on in younger gamers as properly, and I am delighted. Callum all the time exhibits up properly within the camp. Each camp he is available in, it is all the time troublesome.
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“In case you look across the Premier League, there’s not many 20-year-old quantity nines getting a great deal of minutes so it is a huge problem for him to get that and it was very constructive to see Nuno giving him these minutes so early in his tenure on the membership.”
NI squad at ‘totally different stage’ than 2016
Daniel Ballard and Trai Hume gained the Championship play-off remaining with Sunderland in Might [Getty Images]
With Conor Bradley that includes for Liverpool, Justin Devenny for Crystal Palace and Sunderland duo Trai Hume and Daniel Ballard each taking over Manchester United, final weekend marked the primary time Northern Eire have had 5 gamers characteristic in the identical Premier League weekend in 5 years.
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After Jonny Evans retired from worldwide soccer final summer season, Bradley was the one participant within the panel with Premier League expertise. Devenny’s Crystal Palace bow got here final August earlier than Hume and Ballard achieved promotion from the Championship for this marketing campaign.
“Daniel and Trai and Conor and Justin are all making inroads into the Premier League,” O’Neill added.
“I believe individuals make comparisons at instances with the workforce that certified for the Euros. I do not suppose that is a superb comparability as a result of we had seven or eight gamers that performed within the Premier League and had performed most of their profession, if not all of their profession, within the Premier League.
“[There is] enjoying within the Premier League and there may be staying within the Premier League and this workforce’s at a unique stage of their careers from numerous the place these gamers have been. Hopefully they’ll go on to have careers like Johnny Evans and Steven Davis and Craig Cathcart and folks like that, however they’re nonetheless in the beginning of that course of.”