Arsenal teenager Ceadach O’Neill and Everton’s Braiden Graham have retained their places in the Northern Ireland senior squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign. Manager Michael O’Neill selected the injured 18-year-old attacker amidst ongoing international interest from the Football Association of Ireland.
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill named his squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, opting to include the highly sought-after Arsenal prospect Ceadach O’Neill despite the player currently managing an injury. The 18-year-old Derry native previously earned two senior caps during summer friendlies against Guinea and France under the same managerial setup. An update on Ceadach O’Neill was expected on the day of the squad naming, with Northern Ireland increasingly confident of retaining the Arsenal teen in the face of interest from the FAI. Michael O’Neill fast-tracked the attacker, who only turned 18 in April, into his senior squad for the summer friendlies against Guinea and France, providing his first pair of caps. The Northern Ireland manager is aware that the Derry native is a target for the Republic and will likely retain him in his squad named today despite the player being currently injured.
Nations League Schedule and Squad Selection
The upcoming international window features an extended slate of matches for Northern Ireland in Group 2 of Pool B. The team travels to face Georgia on September 25, hosts Hungary on September 28, travels to Slovakia to play Ukraine on October 2, and returns to Belfast for a reverse fixture against Georgia on October 5. The Green and White Army take on Georgia twice, either side of games against Hungary and Ukraine. Northern Ireland, managed by former Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City boss Michael O’Neill, are in Group 2 of Pool B of the Nations League. They travel to Georgia on September 25, before hosting Hungary on September 28. They take on Ukraine in Slovakia on October 2, then welcome Georgia to Belfast for the reverse fixture three days later.
The full squad named by the coaching staff includes goalkeepers Pierce Charles (Queens Park Rangers, on loan from Manchester City), Conor Hazard (Wycombe Wanderers), and Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Blackpool). The defensive unit features Tom Atcheson (Blackburn Rovers), Ruairi McConville (Norwich City), Trai Hume (Sunderland), Ciaron Brown (Oxford United), Brodie Spencer (Oxford United), Dan Ballard (Sunderland), Paddy McNair (Hull City), Eoin Toal (Bolton Wanderers), Terry Devlin (Portsmouth), and Michael Forbes (Dundee United). The midfielders selected are Jordan Thompson (Preston North End), Shea Charles (Fulham), Jamie McDonnell (Oxford United), Justin Devenny (Stoke City), Paul Smyth (Queens Park Rangers), Isaac Price (West Bromwich Albion), Patrick Kelly (Barnsley), Ethan Galbraith (Stoke City), and Kieran Morrison (Sheffield Wednesday, on loan from Liverpool). The forward options comprise Josh Magennis (Stevenage), Jamie Donley (Luton Town, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Dion Charles (Blackpool, on loan from Huddersfield Town), Callum Marshall (Luton Town), Ceadach O’Neill (Arsenal), and Braiden Graham (Everton).
Alongside Ceadach O’Neill, Everton forward Braiden Graham retained his spot in the 28-man squad announced by the coaching staff. Preston North End midfielder Jordan Thompson also returns to the group, having earned 39 caps over the last eight years and last featuring in a March 2025 friendly against Sweden. The 29-year-old has made 39 appearances for Northern Ireland over the last eight years and last played for his country in March 2025 against Sweden in a friendly. Thompson has impressed so far this season for North End, starting all but one of their competitive games, coming off the bench against Wolves and scoring in the final moments of a 3-1 defeat, and wearing the captain’s armband for their game against Lincoln City in the absence of Ali McCann and Lewis Gibson through injury.
International Eligibility and FAI Recruitment Interest
The inclusion of Ceadach O’Neill carries significant implications for his long-term international future. Having already made two appearances in summer friendlies, the Arsenal youngster requires appearances in competitive fixtures to lock in his allegiance.
Under FIFA regulations, players holding dual eligibility can switch national teams once, provided they have played no more than three matches for their initial national side and that all those appearances occurred before they turned 21. An appearance for O’Neill in two of the upcoming competitive games would permanently cap-tie him and render him ineligible to declare for the Republic of Ireland. Games against Georgia (twice), Hungary and Ukraine make up this international window. For the player to switch, he must avoid being capped in a competitive match at senior level and request a transfer via FIFA.
The Football Association of Ireland has monitored the player for over a year as part of an intensified recruitment push targeting emerging talent born outside the 26 counties, on the island of Ireland, and abroad. FAI director of football John Martin spoke earlier in the year about intensifying their recruitment of players born outside of the 26 counties, on the island of Ireland and abroad, citing Liverpool defender Conor Bradley as a particularly stinging case of one that got away in the past. While the likes of James McClean and Shane Duffy ultimately opted to join up with the Republic, the failure to lure Liverpool’s Conor Bradley south has been a source of some regret in Abbotstown, informing their ongoing pursuit.
Club Progress and Background Connections
Ceadach O’Neill’s stock has risen steadily following his recent promotion to Mikel Arteta’s senior Arsenal squad during pre-season, where he featured in a friendly against Real Betis at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Deployed primarily as a number 10, the teenager has drawn intense interest from scouts on both sides of the border. Following the friendly in Dublin against Real Betis, O’Neill gave a guarded answer on his international allegiance when asked about the matter.
Much like Conor Bradley, O’Neill comes from a strong Gaelic Athletic Association background. His uncles, Eoin and Paddy, both played inter-county football for Derry, cementing deep sporting roots in the region before the young attacker transitioned fully into professional English club football.
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