Michael O’Neill has made no secret of his willingness to put his faith in young players, and the current international window offers fresh evidence of it. Teenagers Ceadach O’Neill, Tom Atcheson, Braiden Graham and Kieran Morrison are all in the Northern Ireland squad, while 21-year-old Patrick Kelly and 22-year-old Terry Devlin have begun to press their claims for regular inclusion.
As supporters digested Monday’s 0-0 home draw with Hungary — a result that followed Friday’s 1-0 win in Georgia and a positive start to the Nations League campaign — O’Neill spent Tuesday at Campbell College. The Belfast school is home to the IFA JD National Academy, where teenage hopefuls work towards becoming potential stars at club and international level.
“I know about all these players in here, know the clubs they are attracting attention from, their positions,” O’Neill said. “We have regular meetings as staff every month with regular updates on the academy and where those players are going. Our job is to prepare them as best as possible and guide them if that opportunity comes to take the next step into the professional game in England or Scotland.”
The academy is a residential set-up designed for 24 elite young players at under-15 and under-16 level, providing preparation for life away from home should that come to pass. While they are athletes, they remain students, with equal emphasis placed on football and life skills, and classroom education treated as a key component because professional football offers no guarantees.
Bailey Magee, an academy student who plays his club football with Glenavon, described a day typical of a 16-year-old, with school dominating until mid-afternoon. Once the bell rings, it is time for the gym and the pitch before returning to school work in the evening.
“Going away with Northern Ireland has helped me because I’m able to stay away from home and you get used to that a wee bit,” Magee said. “The hardest times are [after] Christmas because that’s when you’re coming back after spending a long time with family. The IFA and Campbell have done really well when you’re trying to mix the two and balance football with studies. I’ll work hard until the end of the year and whatever happens, happens. I’ll maybe do A-Levels, maybe a B.Tech or full-time football academy with the likes of Linfield or Larne, so there are loads of different pathways for us.”
Fifteen-year-old Kayson Braniff, who is currently on the books at Linfield, shares that outlook. “My dad had drilled it into my head that we need our studies,” he said. “It’s not as if football is everything, studies come first because you definitely need them in case football doesn’t work out.”
Clubs in England can integrate young players into their systems from an early age, which means those from Northern Ireland can find themselves playing catch-up if and when they make the switch in their mid-teens. Time spent in the academy, O’Neill believes, leaves teenagers “better equipped” to make their mark at an English or Scottish club by preparing them for the rigours of a new environment and new coaches.
Helping young players realise their professional dream is intrinsic to the academy’s purpose, but for Northern Ireland, producing new stars who can graduate into the senior team matters just as much. “Two or three years ago we brought players in a bit younger than their club career suggested they were at that level, but it pays dividends now,” O’Neill said. “You need the right people in the right positions to make that work and I think we have that. Players have decisions to make on their club situations and international situations, but your pathway is very important as it builds a loyalty within players. We want young players from whatever part of the community they come from to be part of this pathway to become senior international players.”
Pathways are one thing, but watching previous graduates go on to wear the green jersey or star in Champions League games — Conor Bradley being the high-profile example — ensures the goal is a tangible one for those currently involved. The current manager’s active interest helps too. “He’s a really nice guy and to think I could be in that team in the next few years, which is the goal, it’s really reassuring,” Magee said of his sitdown with O’Neill. Braniff agreed that O’Neill’s interest confirms “he cares about the youth”.
Both are hopeful of following in the footsteps of previous graduates. Should that lead to a move to a full-time club, it would represent another success story for the academy. “It doesn’t matter who it’s for or where it is, so long as it’s a professional team and a professional contract,” Braniff said.