Michael O'Neill confident 'high potential' Everton youngster benefitting from time spent in Northern Ireland's senior squad
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill believes being part of his senior squad will help aid the development of teenage star Braiden Graham – even if the Everton youngster with “high potential” is still waiting for a first cap.
Former Linfield striker Graham received his maiden call-up to O’Neill’s senior panel last summer for friendlies against Guinea and France before being retained for an impressive Nations League window across September and October.
Graham, who only turned 19 on Saturday, has been included in four matchday squads so far but has yet to make an appearance.
He will have another chance later this month after O’Neill once again selected Graham in his 25-player squad for a vital Nations League double-header against Ukraine and Hungary.
Northern Ireland enter the window sitting top of their League B group and on track to seal promotion to the competition’s top-tier.
Graham has been in prolific goalscoring form for Everton’s U21s, netting 22 times in 32 league appearances, while he has also struck in both the EFL Trophy and National League Cup this season.
The highly-rated teenager was an unused substitute for David Moyes’ senior side during Friday’s 3-1 Premier League victory over Coventry City – his eighth time sitting on the bench this term without featuring.
While O’Neill has handed opportunities to fellow teens Ceadach O’Neill and Kieran Morrison, who turns 20 on Monday, in recent times, Graham is waiting patiently, but the Northern Ireland chief insists he’s still learning from just being around the environment.
"Braiden's a young player, he's only played for the U21s once, we dropped him down to play in the 21s against Greece, and I thought he did well in that game,” said O’Neill. “He's on the bench at Everton, he's not getting minutes at this moment in time, but he's back playing in their U21s.
"I like what David Moyes is trying to do with him, he's keeping him playing.
"These players are not necessarily in the squad to be starting games, they're here for their development and they will develop within the group.
"Ceadach’s had some minutes off the bench, Braiden has yet to do that, Kieran has started a couple of games, a friendly game and the game against Ukraine.
"What we're doing is drip-feeding them in because we believe they're young players with high potential and we're trying to obviously extract that from them.”
Shea Charles has developed into a key player for Northern Ireland in recent years and enters the upcoming international break on the back of playing in all 10 of Fulham’s Premier League matches so far this season.
The 23-year-old made a record-breaking £30million summer move to the Cottagers from Southampton and has quickly become a trusted member of Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa’s squad.
Charles has played every minute of Fulham’s last four matches in England’s top-flight and helped the London-based club transform their season – Fulham are unbeaten across that period, beating Hull City and Coventry alongside drawing with Aston Villa and Newcastle United.
The midfielder, who was named captain for both of Northern Ireland’s home Nations League fixtures, scored a crucial winner in Georgia as O’Neill’s men started the last window on a winning note.
O’Neill has watched Charles’ progress at Fulham closely and believes he’s turning into a top talent for both club and country.
"I think he plays in a very similar role to what we ask of him,” added O’Neill. “We're playing with two sixes, it’s a different system that Arbeloa plays at Fulham, but he plays with two holding midfield players and that's where we've played Shea.
"I think that's where he's at his best.
"I think Shea's better when he steps into the game rather than playing a little bit higher up, but what Shea does have in him is goals – he's shown that.
"Just because you're a six, it doesn't mean you can't go and join in and I think he does that, but every manager asks for different things of his players.
"We would encourage Shea to get into areas where he can affect the game in the final third of the pitch, the demands on him at Fulham might be different, I don't know that exactly.
"The most important thing is he's playing Premier League football and he looks very comfortable at that level.
"He comes ready to play for us and I think the performances he's given now consistently, really I think since I come back, have been extremely high.
"We've seen him develop into not only a top-class Premier League player, but a top-class international player as well.”