Uncapped teenagers Graham and O'Neill in NI squad

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• Published2 hours ago

Uncapped teenagers Braiden Graham and Ceadach O'Neill have been named in Northern Ireland's squad for June's friendlies with Guinea and France.

Forward Graham, 18, has impressed for Everton's Under-21 side this season with 12 goals in 18 appearances.

Graham was on the bench for Everton's trip to Nottingham Forest in December but has yet to make a senior appearance under David Moyes.

Like Graham, 18-year-old O'Neill has stood out for Arsenal's underage sides and was on the bench for the FA Cups with Wigan Athletic and Southampton.

Manager Michael O'Neill, who has signed a new deal to stay as Northern Ireland manager until 2032, will be without injured Sunderland defender Dan Ballard for the two matches.

Paddy McNair is missing after helping Hull City win promotion to the Premier League, while Portsmouth defender Terry Devlin is also out.

Eoin Toal is injured after missing Bolton's League One play-off final win over Stockport County, while midfielders George Saville and Brad Lyons are absent.

Swansea City midfielder Ethan Galbraith is included despite not playing since the World Cup play-off defeat by Italy at the end of March, while Liverpool teenager Kieran Morrison has retained his place in the squad.

Northern Ireland face Guinea in Spain on 4 May and take on France, in their final game before the World Cup, in Lille on 8 June.

Ballard has surgery on Achillies

After missing Northern Ireland's World Cup play-off defeat by Italy in Bergamo, Ballard has had surgery on a troublesome Achillies injury, something O'Neill hopes "remedies thesituation".

Devlin is missing with a hamstring tear and McNair requires rest after he had an injection in his knee after helping Hull to top flight promotion.

He added he omitted the likes of Dion Charles and Saville because he "didn't want to bring them away at this stage of the season and possibly not give them minutes", while Lyons is getting married.

For teenagers O'Neill and Graham, the manager said it was an opportunity to "accelerate players" into senior football.

"We're not maybe blessed with real strikers or a choice of number nines.

"Josh [Magennis] isn't getting any younger, but he's with us again, which is a real bonus.

"It's important that we try and accelerate the development of these young players so that they become options for us going forward."

Northern Ireland squad

Goalkeepers: Pierce Charles (Sheffield Wednesday), Luke Southwood (Bristol Rovers), Josh Clarke (Partick Thistle)

Defenders: Tom Atcheson (Blackburn Rovers), Ruairi McConville (Norwich City), Trai Hume (Sunderland), Ciaron Brown (Oxford United), Brodie Spencer (Oxford United), Justin Devenny (Crystal Palace).

Midfielders: Ali McCann (Preston North End), Shea Charles (Southampton), Jamie McDonnell (Oxford United), Paul Smyth (Queen's Park Rangers), Isaac Price (West Brom), Patrick Kelly (Barnsley), Ethan Galbraith (Swansea), Kieran Morrison (Liverpool).

Forwards: Josh Magennis (Exeter City), Jamie Donley (Oxford United), Jamie Reid (Stevenage), Callum Marshall (West Ham), Ceadach O'Neill (Arsenal), Braiden Graham (Everton).

Related topics

• Football
• Northern Ireland Men's Football Team