O'Neill 'desperate' for NI players to reach top flight

"Game time is a challenge. It's always been a little bit of a challenge for Northern Ireland squads."

Since Michael O'Neill's return as Northern Ireland manager in 2022, when he inherited a much younger squad than the one he had taken to Euro 2016 during his first stint, he has consistently stressed the need for his players to be playing as often as possible at as high a level as possible.

As such, the final weekend of the domestic seasons in England and Scotland could prove important for his international squad.

While the likes of Callum Marshall, Jamie Donley and Dale Taylor are on the books of Premier League teams, with that trio having spent the season on loan in League One, just two players in O'Neill's 26-man squad for friendlies against Denmark and Iceland next month featured in England's top tier this season.

Liverpool's Conor Bradley picked up a Premier League winners' medal, with Crystal Palace's Justin Devenny doing likewise in the FA Cup.

However, citing the challenging experience of facing Alexander Isak in defeat by Sweden in March, O'Neill knows regular exposure to such talents would be hugely beneficial.

"In the past, we would have had more players playing their club football at a higher level," he said.

"If you look back to the team that went to the Euros, there was probably maybe as many as six, seven, eight players playing at Premier League level and had played at that level for quite a number of years, most of their career, if not all of their career.

"This group are not there yet, let's be honest, and they're playing their club football at a slightly lower level."

That could change for two of his panel on Saturday with key defenders Dan Ballard and Trai Hume involved in the Championship play-off for Sunderland against Sheffield United at Wembley.

Ballard came through the ranks at Arsenal but did not feature for the club before moving to the Stadium of Light in 2022, while Trai Hume took a different path to the Black Cats, playing more than 50 games in the Irish League.

O'Neill said he is "desperate" for Sunderland to achieve promotion, believing the pair are capable of playing Premier League football.

"I think sometimes we maybe underestimate our players in that situation. I do believe they are," he said of their ability to step up a division.

"There would be a lot of clubs aware of how consistent they have been in the Championship, and we have seen other players step up from the Championship and do well in the Premier League, but it is a challenge.

"Sometimes I think you are better going up with a team than being bought into a club. If you go up in that situation, as Sunderland may do, then you are already well-established at the club and they are first-choice players, which is important as well."

That game will not be the only one for O'Neill to monitor with Ethan Galbraith and on-loan Tottenham forward Jamie Donley set to feature in the League One play-off final for Leyton Orient on Sunday.

Ronan Hale's penalty for Ross County also ensured his side will go into the second leg of their Scottish Premiership play-off with Livingston on Monday with the scores level.

The two most experienced players in Northern Ireland's squad for next month's games are the 30-year-old Paddy McNair, now playing for San Diego FC, and George Saville, 31, of Millwall.

In what is a young squad, but one that has been on an upward trajectory with Nations League promotion secured in November, O'Neill feels his players are at similar points in their international and club careers.

"I do think that the squad is progressing in two ways, it can progress when it comes in and works together as a squad and they can progress when they go back to their clubs," he said.

"I think that this squad is still probably a few years away from really where it needs to be in terms of where the players will be in their club situations and also where they will be in their international careers.

"But I think that for us to progress and take steps forward as a nation, this group of players will be together for a long time and hopefully they can emulate some of the achievements of that previous group."