"He'd remind you of Steven Davis" - Former Northern Ireland international backing midfielder to have big impact

The 19-year-old, who swapped City for Championship outfit Southampton this summer in a deal that could rise to £15million, has earned 10 international caps since making his debut against Greece in June 2022 after being called up by Ian Baraclough.

With key players such as Davis, Stuart Dallas and Corry Evans sidelined with long-term injuries, Charles has started all six of Northern Ireland’s UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers to date, including their recent double-header defeats to Slovenia and Kazakhstan.

Charles’ form has been a bright spark in an otherwise underwhelming campaign and Gillespie, who played 86 times for Northern Ireland, feels he has the potential to become the country’s main man.

"The thing about him is he makes good decisions and makes the game look simple at times,” said Gillespie while working as an analyst for Viaplay Sports. “He has that class about him and he works hard.

"He makes good passes and has a good passing range.

"He has been exceptional and he would remind you of a Steven Davis because he can influence games.

"He’s the sort of player that we need to be building a side around and I’m sure we will do for many years to come.”

Fellow studio analyst David Healy was also full of praise for Charles and believes he shares a key characteristic with influential skipper Davis.

"It almost looks effortless at times,” said Healy. “He’s so comfortable in tight areas and that was part of Steven’s style of play.

"Shea seems to have all the attributes and he should do coming through where he has came through at Man City.”