Daniel Ballard, Trai Hume and Shea Charles have all progressed to become top-flight footballers in England’s top division.
Eight years prior to this, on a late summer’s day at Queen Ethelburga’s College in York, Michael O’Neill had no way of knowing he was about to encounter two future key members of his Northern Ireland squad.
It was then that Shea Charles, who has recently become NI’s record transfer at 22 years old, and Isaac Price both pulled on a Northern Ireland jersey for the initial time during a friendly against Leeds United’s Under-16 side.
The pair featured as part of a Club NI side – the national academy at that period – alongside players such as Liverpool’s Conor Bradley and Portsmouth’s Terry Devlin.
This marked the beginning of an international career path that would see both earn senior caps as teenagers under O’Neill before establishing themselves at club level. Both now feature prominently in the manager’s selections.
During the summer transfer window, Charles became the most expensive Northern Ireland player when he moved to Premier League club Fulham from Southampton for £30m, having arrived at St Mary’s after departing Manchester City in 2023.
When recalling his first glimpse of Charles in 2018, O’Neill remarked that he could immediately see there was a player there. He expressed that this was one of the greatest pleasures he had experienced with the team, as they had known these boys from such a young age.
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As illustrated by Charles and his younger sibling Pierce, eligibility proves crucial for a nation with such a limited pool of players.
Occasionally talent spotters identify players, at other times parents or intermediaries approach the Irish FA, or clubs alert the association to eligible individuals.
However, sometimes it simply comes down to being in the correct place at the right moment.
Joe Shields, who served as head of youth recruitment at Manchester City during that period, became acquainted with the Charles family and recognised that the siblings would qualify through their mother, Mary, who hails from Northern Ireland.
After observing Shea’s progression, Shields reached out to Andy Cousins, who was also working at City with emerging talent and alongside the Irish FA, suggesting that involvement in Northern Ireland’s development pathway would benefit his growth.
From there, Cousins arranged for O’Neill to meet the Charles and Price families ahead of their inaugural appearances for the Club NI side.
While O’Neill maintains that he was simply being courteous and introducing himself, this also served a broader purpose. For a rising talent like Charles, it left a significant impact.
Charles, who has accumulated 35 caps since his NI debut in March 2023, stated that it was really cool for them to see that the senior manager had that interest in the youth team. He noted that it was really good to see that he does look at those younger age groups and for boys who maybe have a chance to come through. Charles added that it really helped him get to know the boys, the coaches, the whole set-up and eventually going on his first senior camp and making his debut. He described it as really special and said it shows that the pathway was really important.
Charles made his Northern Ireland debut before his first senior and Premier League appearance for Manchester City in May 2023
O’Neill emphasises the importance of identifying the next generation long before they approach the senior side, and credits the work of Andy Waterworth, director of elite player development, and his team for providing him with opportunities to stay closely involved.
He stated that he thinks they are really good at that as a small association. He noted that with the time frame at that age, it can go quite quickly so there are lads he is seeing in their academy and he may well be the manager that gives that player his debut.
Cousins noted that Charles had no concerns whatsoever at City and simply enjoyed playing football. He believes O’Neill’s early engagement with players enables him to have confidence in them at senior level, something that may not occur at other federations.
Cousins, now serving as head of scouting at Chelsea alongside Shields, who holds the position of co-sporting director at Stamford Bridge, explained that this has allowed O’Neill to trust them and field them at a young age. He believes O’Neill concerns himself less with physical aspects, and if he believes they’ll develop into quality players long-term, the focus is on integrating them promptly to reach that standard.
Two approaches to development
O’Neill outlines two methods for expanding Northern Ireland’s player base: through homegrown players and those identified through eligibility.
Success stories include Charles and Price, who progressed through Everton’s system before achieving senior recognition with Standard Liege and West Brom.
However, O’Neill points out that when clubs release players or their situations become unclear, the JD Academy – Club NI’s successor – provides continuity to support their continued development.
O’Neill cited the cases of Daniel Ballard and Pierce Charles, who were let go by Arsenal and Manchester City respectively, yet remained part of Northern Ireland’s youth structures to continue their progression.
Now, Ballard has become a vital figure for Sunderland alongside fellow NI defender Trai Hume, while this summer Charles returned to Manchester City from Sheffield Wednesday before joining Queen’s Park Rangers on loan.
He noted that their situations were far from certain. Pierce was released by City at 16, but they do not discard him from Northern Ireland. He emphasised that maintaining their involvement as much as possible and offering support during challenging periods is crucial.
Michael O’Neill cites Ethan Galbraith when discussing varied player development
Shea Charles described his brother’s journey as highly significant and emphasised the value of remaining connected with Northern Ireland.
He noted that when Pierce left City, he always had those Northern Ireland youth matches to participate in. He always had a place in those squads and could still demonstrate his abilities at that level. Charles believes many other players experience similar situations.
O’Neill referenced Ethan Galbraith, who earned his first cap at 18 in 2019 while at Manchester United but only became a regular fixture in the NI side at 23, climbing back through the ranks with Leyton Orient.
Through that period of patience, he has become a fundamental member of O’Neill’s squad and secured a transfer to Stoke City from Swansea during the summer window.
O’Neill continued that you can see the talent in these young players, but their journeys never follow a consistently upward trajectory. He stated that they never dismiss young players prematurely. They recognise they may encounter difficulties at their clubs at times, but that’s entirely normal within such a competitive environment.
Despite operating with fewer resources than larger nations, O’Neill is confident the IFA’s recruitment network rarely overlooks potential eligibility cases.
He noted that they are continuously working on this and engaging with various players at different career stages. He stated that he would not request a young player to switch international allegiance unless he genuinely believed they had an opportunity to become a senior international, and he considers that essential.
Many associations envy our approach
From making their youth Northern Ireland appearances together, Shea Charles and Isaac Price are now established regulars under Michael O’Neill
The second approach focuses on homegrown talent within Northern Ireland.
From O’Neill’s current squad, players including Trai Hume, Conor Bradley, Ethan Galbraith and Ruairi McConville have all emerged through this pathway.
Looking ahead, Ceadach O’Neill and Braiden Graham represent cases of gaining senior Northern Ireland experience while still competing at youth level for Arsenal and Everton respectively.
Both progressed through the JD Academy and featured for Irish Premiership club Linfield before transitioning to England.
Charles observes that although this differs from the English club structure, the advantages of combined training and matches have proved valuable for his teammates.
He noted that the players discuss how beneficial it was for them. He acknowledged that undoubtedly it varied somewhat from England, but the ultimate objective remained consistent – reaching the senior squad – so credit belongs to them.
He emphasises that regardless of where their footballing journeys began, progressing together through the youth system has strengthened their senior team dynamic.
He observed that you can see it during matches through their style of play and how they communicate and acknowledge each other’s efforts. Following disappointing results, you notice how they rally around one another. He described it as an excellent group.
Andy Cousins with Pierce and Shea Charles, who he worked with at Manchester City and with the Irish FA
Before Club NI was established, a community programme existed, but the full JD Academy, in its current form, enables Northern Ireland’s most promising young footballers to join a residential setup at Campbell College, alongside the advantages that accompany representing their country at a young age, including specialised nutrition and strength and conditioning programmes.
For O’Neill, this has represented one of the greatest achievements since his initial appointment as manager in 2012, noting the academy has performed exceptionally well.
He observed that he believes they possess something many associations would covet. He noted that in larger nations, clubs develop players due to their available resources, but their clubs lack that capability. He stated that not every academy participant will become a professional or represent Northern Ireland at senior level, but it does provide a meaningful opportunity during a critical phase of their development.
The international standard
Should he feature against Chelsea on Monday, Shea Charles will reunite with figures including Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, Liam Delap and Joe Shields, whom he encountered during his time at Manchester City
While the Championship presents strong competition with consistent challenges, international football has enabled Charles to compete against – and hold his own against – some of the world’s finest players.
Over the past three years, he has confronted Spain’s Rodri just before their European Championship triumph, Germany’s Florian Wirtz, Italy’s Sandro Tonali and France’s midfield combination of Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot.
On each occasion Charles performed creditably – particularly against Italy, where he arguably delivered the standout display against Tonali and Nicolo Barella.
On Monday evening, the 22-year-old could make his Fulham debut against Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea side, potentially marking his second Premier League appearance three years after his initial one under Pep Guardiola at City.
Shea Charles held his own against the likes of Rodri, Florian Wirtz and Sandro Tonali in the past two years
This could represent a fitting completion for Charles, as he will reunite with Cousins and Shields, who contributed to developing current Chelsea midfielders Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Romeo Lavia, who progressed at City alongside Fulham’s newest signing.
Cousins remarked that it is much easier to benchmark players when you can say that you have played against players from the Premier League or certainly the top five leagues in Europe. He noted that especially where the Premier League is so demanding physically, to see people performing well at that level, it is much easier to trust that and to be able to sign a player. He expressed his belief that Shea will be absolutely no problem at all, as he has shown in his performances against those big teams he has played against in the last two years.
Charles concurs, noting that testing himself against elite players has prepared him for the Premier League.
He stated that to be in that Premier League environment and hopefully to make his Fulham debut on Monday would just be incredible. He noted that it will be really cool playing the best players in the world every week.
He added that he looks forward to playing with Northern Ireland and being able to experience those games, even if it is a friendly like the Spain or France games. He noted that it does prepare you for what the best players are like, so he is really looking forward to it.