Northern Ireland Calls Up Teenage Talents for Friendlies

Northern Ireland have turned to the next generation for their June friendlies, with uncapped teenagers Braidan Graham and Ceadach O'Neill called into Michael O'Neill's squad to face Guinea and France.

Graham, just 18, has been a prolific presence for Everton's Under-21s this season, scoring 12 times in 18 games and forcing his way into first-team contention at Goodison Park. He made the bench for the Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest in December, but is still waiting for a senior debut at club level.

International football may come first.

O'Neill has also rewarded the form of another 18-year-old, Arsenal prospect Ceadach O'Neill, who has caught the eye in the club's underage ranks. The forward has already brushed up against senior football, named on the bench for FA Cup ties against Wigan Athletic and Southampton.

For both, this is a sharp step up. For Northern Ireland, it's a clear signal.

O'Neill, fresh from signing a new contract that keeps him in charge until 2032, will have to experiment. His defensive options have been stripped by injury and absence. Sunderland centre-back Dan Ballard misses out, a significant blow given his importance at the heart of the back line.

Paddy McNair is unavailable after playing his part in Hull City's promotion to the Premier League, while Portsmouth defender Terry Devlin is also ruled out. Eoin Toal, who sat out Bolton's League One play-off final win over Stockport County, joins the casualty list. Midfielders George Saville and Brad Lyons are missing as well, thinning experience in the middle of the pitch.

There is at least one familiar name returning. Swansea City midfielder Ethan Galbraith is included despite not featuring since Northern Ireland's World Cup play-off defeat by Italy at the end of March. His selection underlines O'Neill's faith in his technical quality and temperament on the international stage.

Liverpool teenager Kieran Morrison, another of the emerging crop, keeps his place in the squad and will again push for minutes.

The schedule offers a sharp contrast in challenges. Northern Ireland meet Guinea in Spain on 4 May, a chance to bed in fresh faces and tweak combinations. Then comes France in Lille on 8 June, their final outing before the World Cup and a stern examination of just how quickly this evolving squad can grow up.