Northern Ireland's young side beats Guinea

Under the shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar and in front of just 300 fans, Northern Ireland's game with Guinea may not be their biggest game of the international window.

But it does show the continued direction of travel and development of Michael O'Neill's side.

When Northern Ireland played Luxembourg in November 2024 it was their youngest starting team on record since the end of World War Two.

With the likes of Shea Charles, Isaac Price, Justin Devenny and Trai Hume having another 18 months of experience and caps, Northern Ireland surpassed that tally again on Thursday.

In La Linea, O'Neill's young side started with an average age of just 22.1 against the African opposition.

Liverpool teenager Kieran Morrison was handed his debut, while fellow 19-year-old Tom Atcheson of Blackburn Rovers impressed with the decisive goal before he was sent off in the second half.

At 28, Ciaron Brown and winger Paul Smyth would almost be classed as elderly by comparison, but the youthful team got the job done despite playing the final 25 minutes with 10 men after Atcheson was dismissed for a last man tackle.

Just like in a victory over Iceland a year ago, a 1-0 home win after Brodie Spencer was sent off, it showed resilience beyond their years.

While there was some short-term pain back in 2023, Northern Ireland and manager O'Neill have seen the benefits of introducing players to senior international football at a young age.

Those youngsters have blossomed into seasoned internationals, and the next generation are starting to get their chance.

In the second half, Arsenal teenager Ceadach O'Neill was handed his debut off the bench, and while Everton's 18-year-old Braiden Graham did not get on the pitch in Spain, it will only be a matter of time before he earns a senior cap.

Goalkeeper Pierce Charles - only 20 and linked with a move away from Sheffield Wednesday - got another 45 minutes under his belt and, like many of his team-mates, is wise beyond his years.

With O'Neill's future as manager now certain after he signed a new deal until 2032, the trajectory of the team is clear.

"It's really good, I feel like one of the old ones now, which is a bit mad," said Southampton midfielder Charles, Pierce's older brother, who has 35 caps at 22 years of age.

"It's a really good group and it has been for a few years now.

"It's really important to get the younger ones to mould into the group well and playing games is only going to help that."

Charles also praised Atcheson despite his red card, saying he will "bounce back" from his dismissal.

Justin Devenny, fresh from Crystal Palace's Uefa Conference League success, agreed with Charles and said "there is some real quality coming through".

"They have been great in training all week and they totally deserve their chance," the 22-year-old added.

"You could see their quality on the pitch, with them getting used to the system but they have fitted in brilliantly.

"There is a lot more to come because there is some real quality there."

The long-term goal, and certainly in the hope, the high-profile fixtures will provide lessons for a return to a first major tournament for Northern Ireland since Euro 2016.

"Playing a team like France, they are probably the favourites for the World Cup so it will be a really exciting test for us," Charles added.

"We'll be able to see where we are at. It will be a really fun game so I am looking forward to it.

"With the young team we have there's not much fear here. There's more excitement than nerves or fear."

Devenny added that he hoped Northern Ireland "can show our quality" despite being huge underdogs against the star-studded side.

"It's very exciting playing against one of the best teams in the world, if not the best," he said.

"Even when their starting XI comes off you know their XI is going to be different class as well.

"It will be a great occasion and it will be good to challenge ourselves. I'm hoping we can show our quality as well."