Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill insists securing promotion to the Nations League’s top-tier would represent “a huge achievement” for his young side.

O’Neill’s men enter their final two games against Ukraine (November 14) and Hungary (November 17) sitting top of their League B group as they look to continue a rapid rise.

Remarkably, Northern Ireland are the only nation of 54 competing in the Nations League yet to concede across the current campaign and a continuation of that record would likely see them secure passage to League A.

Northern Ireland failed to win any of their first 14 Nations League matches between September 2018 and September 2022, suffering relegation to League C for the 2022/23 edition.

placeholder image — Northern Ireland enter this month's window sitting top of their Nations League group. (Photo by Peter Kollar/Pacemaker Press International)

However, O’Neill’s side have now put together an eight-game unbeaten run in the competition, sealing promotion in 2024, and are on the cusp of another ascension.

With 17 of the 25 players named in O’Neill’s latest panel aged 23 or under, the Northern Ireland chief believes the Nations League has played a key role in the country’s recent development.

"At the start, everyone was a little bit unsure of what the Nations League was and what purpose it would serve,” said O’Neill. “I think it's a good competition, it gives you the ability to introduce new players.

"Certainly the first time we took part in it all those years ago, I introduced new players. The results weren't maybe the most important thing at that minute in time.

"But we're in a position now where we've been promoted from League C to League B, and now we've got a chance to be promoted from League B to League A.

"I think for a nation of our size, potentially to be able to play in League A is a huge achievement...to be able to win this group and get promoted would be a great achievement for this group of players and would give us great games to look forward to in the future.

"The results of the past are not attributed to this group of players because they didn't play in it...for this group in particular, the Nations League has been a good competition.

"I think it's allowed us to grow, to introduce new players, and it's obviously helped us in terms of potential qualification as well.”