NI can draw on strong club form in key window

Despite being together for 16 straight days only a month ago, when Northern Ireland players reconvened this week for Nations League fixtures against Ukraine and Hungary there was still plenty of catching up to do.

Whether it be Pierce Charles' incredible double-save of Jarrod Bowen's penalty to preserve a point for Queens Park Rangers against West Ham, Isaac Price putting his own spot-kick woe behind him back at West Bromwich Albion, or Terry Devlin's double for Portsmouth against Swansea, there have been memorable moments aplenty for Michael O'Neill's squad back in club colours.

Most pleasing to the manager, however, will likely be the game time currently enjoyed by his players.

O'Neill has never shied away from the importance of a player's club situation to their international ambitions and, almost four years after his return to the Northern Ireland job, the message has clearly hit home.

Of what is a 24-man squad for games against Ukraine on Saturday and Hungary three days later, nine players made either a permanent or loan switch during the summer.

And while once the former Stoke City boss had to heavily rely on players who were getting precious few minutes in between international windows, now the group is full of regulars across England top three divisions.

Excluding the uncapped trio of Dermot Mee, Eoin Kenny and Braiden Graham, the remainder of the panel for this double-header have averaged over 1,000 minutes of club action during the 2026-27 campaign.

Of that group, only Tom Atcheson, who has been carrying a knock, Paddy McNair, Kieran Morrison and Callum Marshall have started fewer than four games since the side's most recent international against Georgia last month.

The next step, O'Neill feels, is to have more and more joining the likes of Conor Bradley, Daniel Ballard, Trai Hume and Shea Charles in the Premier League.

"There's a lot of players who are playing on a regular basis at their clubs, which is a real positive," said O'Neill, who is without Ballard, Bradley and Arsenal's Ceadach O'Neill for this window through injuries.

"I think at this stage of their career they should be looking up. Our players that play in the Championship hopefully will have aspirations to play in the Premier League, and I think we have players that are capable of that.

"A lot of these players are still around that 20, 21, 22 age group but they're capable of taking that step.

"The more players we can get to the Premier League will help us as a nation, there's no doubt about that. I'm pleased where a lot of the players are at this minute in time but I still think individually with their clubs they've got a lot of scope to grow and develop as well."

Two of those playing at League One level this season are attackers Jamie Donley and Marshall, both at Luton Town under Jack Wilshere.

While a regular goalscorer remains elusive for O'Neill - the side have scored just once in their past four home games and that was a Donley penalty against Luxembourg - both have found the net at Kenilworth Road in recent weeks.

Donley, who is on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, plays in a deeper role at the club than the false nine position he occupies for Northern Ireland and has scored three times with two assists since a goalless four-game Nations League window across the end of September and start of October.

"I think Jamie has played well for us as a nine. He's different in terms of what you might look for in a profile as a nine. He comes and links the play and plays a little bit deeper," said O'Neill.

"I don't think you can compare, with all due respect, the chances that he may get playing for Luton in League One where they're a strong team, to playing for Northern Ireland at Nations League B. They're not overly comparable. It's not down to position for Jamie. It's what he brings to the team.

"The most important thing for me is that Jamie comes in confident to our camps. The fact that he's scoring goals at his club can only help him, regardless of what position we play him in."