Northern Ireland U19s manager Gareth McAuley has made wholesale changes to his squad for a tournament in Norway this month.
The U19s are due to play Norway and Sweden in the three-team mini tournament as they prepare for Euro qualifiers later this autumn.
Only eight players who were in the 20-strong Northern Ireland panel for UEFA U19 Euro 2024 in July remain in McAuley’s squad, although several players who played in the home tournament - games were staged in Belfast and Larne - are no longer eligible to play for the U19s.
The eight who are still in the U19s squad include goalkeeper Mason Munn, defenders Josh Briggs and George Goodman, midfielders Aodhan Doherty, Jack Doherty, Blaine McClure and Dylan Stitt plus striker Braiden Graham.
Also included is Celtic midfielder Francis Turley, who was withdrawn from the U19 Euros on the eve of the tournament to be part of the Celtic first team’s pre-season tour to the USA. He has since made his league debut for the Glasgow club.
Northern Ireland last played the Norwegians in a group game at this summer’s U19 Euros. Norway won the match 2-0.
They will face them again at the Mellos Stadion, the home of Moss FK in Moss, southern Norway, on Thursday (5 September) at 6pm local time.
The game against Sweden’s U19s is set to take place on Sunday (8 September) at Lisleby Stadion (noon local time). It’s the home of Lisleby FK, who are based in Fredrikstad in southern Norway.
Prior to training in Norway today, McAuley said he was happy with the balance of his squad, which is a mix of players who ply their trade in Britain and in the Irish League.
His panel also features players who were born in 2006 and 2007, while their opponents’ squads largely feature 2006 players only.
“These two games will be a big test for us, however it’s a challenge we expect the players to rise to. We have some very exciting talent in our squad,” he added.
All but one of the players in the U19s panel have previously played for Northern Ireland at U19, U18 or U17 level. The one new face in the Northern Ireland set-up is MK Dons striker Michael Brammeld.
The mini tournament in Norway will kick-start McAuley’s preparations for the qualifying round for U19 Euro 2025, which is due to be staged in Romania next summer.
Northern Ireland have been drawn in Group 11 in the qualifying round where their opponents will be Israel, Denmark and Albania. Albania will host the four-team mini tournament in November (dates/venues TBC).
The top two teams in 13 QR groups and the best third-placed team will join top seeds Portugal in the elite round next spring. The seven elite round group winners will join hosts Romania at the finals.
The 22-strong Northern Ireland squad for the upcoming games in Norway is as follows:
Goalkeepers – Mason Munn (Rangers), Josh Gracey (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Defenders – George Goodman (Bradford City), Calum Moreland (Aston Villa), Matthew Orr (Linfield), James Simpson (Larne), Josh Briggs (West Ham United), Senan Devine (Coleraine), Rhys Walsh (Sunderland), Aodhan Doherty (Blackburn Rovers), Keevan Hawthorne (Cliftonville), Isaac Hughes (Forest Green Rovers).
Midfielders – Dylan Stitt (Luton Town), Jack Doherty (Fleetwood Town), Francis Turley (Celtic), Ryan Corrigan (Cliftonville), Cole Brannigan (Aston Villa), Max Wilson (Preston North End), Blaine McClure (Rangers).
Forwards – Braiden Graham (Everton), Michael Brammeld (MK Dons), Sam Anderson (Luton Town).
