Northern Ireland: Who should be Michael O’Neill’s number one goalkeeper?
Image source, Getty PhotosPIerce Charles, Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Luke Southwood are tough for Northern Eire’s starting shirt
Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI Journalist
“The extra depth we possess in that suppose, the simpler. It be right to possess that opponents.”
Northern Eire station up Michael O’Neill became elephantine of optimism when requested about his goalkeeping choices for November’s Worldwide locations League double-header.
When typical quantity one Bailey Peacock-Farrell became dominated out of October’s fits, 19-year-inclined Pierce Charles became handed the starting berth against Belarus and Bulgaria.
He attach in two performances that left O’Neill “joyful”, with tidy sheets in every fits and some shining distribution.
Nonetheless with Peacock-Farrell merit within the squad, and Luke Southwood getting minutes within the financial institution at Bolton, who does O’Neill turn to for the video games with Belarus and Luxembourg?
BBC Sport takes a secret agent at the selections.
Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Birmingham Metropolis)
Image source, Getty Photos
Bailey Peacock-Farrell has been Northern Eire’s typical quantity one
Bailey Peacock-Farrell has been Northern Eire’s quantity one goalkeeper since breaking into the senior crew in 2018.
He has received Forty eight caps since making his debut and has held off challenges from Michael McGovern, Trevor Carson and Conor Hazard for the starting suppose.
On the different hand, club minutes had been a field for Peacock-Farrell since his leap forward year at Leeds United.
He joined Burnley however became a merit-up goalkeeper, which ended in a productive mortgage at Sheffield Wednesday sooner than he spent final season in Denmark with AGF Aarhus.
The 28-year-inclined began the season as Birmingham Metropolis’s quantity one, however a shoulder damage left him sidelined and he has misplaced his starting suppose to Ryan Allsop at St Andrews.
For Northern Eire, Peacock-Farrell has been proper, though his error handed Bulgaria the decisive goal in September’s fits.
Pierce Charles (Sheffield Wednesday)
Image source, Press Look
Pierce Charles made a right impression as he deputised for Bailey Peacock-Farrell in October
Pierce Charles became taking part in for Northern Eire’s Below-19s within the summertime and is now a entirely-fledged senior worldwide.
When Peacock-Farrell became dominated out October’s fits, it became the teenager who got the nod to step in.
Younger brother of midfielder Shea, Charles kept two tidy sheets against Belarus and Bulgaria – though he wasn’t severely examined in goal.
His distribution and imaginative and prescient shone thru, with a amazing pass to fetch Conor Bradley within the make-up to Dion Charles’ disallowed goal against Bulgaria going viral.
While he has not played any minutes within the Championship for Sheffield Wednesday, he has been their cup goalkeeper and impressed within the defeat against Premier League side Brentford.
He is intensely much considered as a goalkeeper for not ideal the future, however also for the indicate.
Luke Southwood (Bolton Wanderers)
Image source, Press Look
Luke Southwood’s sole Northern Eire cap came away to Luxembourg in 2022
Despite being third different for Northern Eire, Luke Southwood is basically the goalkeeper who is within the period in-between getting essentially the most time on the pitch this season.
The 26-year-inclined played every minute of Cheltenham Metropolis’s final two league campaigns, and has featured within the absence of Nathan Baker for Bolton Wanderers since a summer season swap to the League One side.
His sole Northern Eire cap came against Luxembourg in 2022, and he has been practically ever-indicate within the squad despite his lack of minutes at worldwide level.
On the different hand, the truth Charles became selected for October’s fits suggests that he is third within the pecking expose within the good thing about the teenager and Peacock-Farrell.
Who else is there?
Image source, Getty Photos
Conor Hazard has been on the sidelines with an ankle damage
Northern Eire’s goalkeeping depth has not been as stable for a ramification of years, and there’s a handful of extra choices who were both not selected for November’s sport or were unavailable for selection.
The headline establish is Conor Hazard, who has impressed for Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle however is out injured.
The 26-year-inclined has received eight caps, and would possess likely made the squad if fit.
Mansfield Metropolis’s Christy Pym became O’Neill’s third goalkeeping option for October’s fits when Peacock-Farrell and Hazard were every injured.
Pym, 29, is on the standby listing for November’s double-header.
There are a pair of Below-21s choices who might perchance perchance perchance be names to fetch out for within the break, including Celtic’s Josh Clarke and 19-year-inclined Stephen McMullan, who is on mortgage at Caernarfon Metropolis from Fleetwood Metropolis.