Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill stated that new call-up Eoin Kenny’s family connection to the Republic of Ireland is not something he considered before adding him to the senior squad. The Portsmouth attacker is the son of former Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny.
Assessing the Player on Merit
The 20-year-old player was born in Northern Ireland while his father managed Derry City, and he previously represented the Republic of Ireland at the under-19 level. He later switched to Northern Ireland’s under-21s, making 11 appearances and captaining the side against Greece last month. As reported by BBC Sport, O’Neill focused solely on the player’s abilities and recent form rather than his background.
“The background is not really that important for me, if I’m honest. I just look at the lad as a player,” O’Neill said. “He’s really enjoyed being in the Northern Ireland set-up and, I think off the back of a really strong under-21s campaign, he deserves the opportunity to be in the squad.”
O’Neill added that he envisages the player is present because he genuinely wants to represent the team, noting that international football presents an important opportunity for him. Although Stephen Kenny took charge of the Republic of Ireland in April 2020 around the same time O’Neill concluded his first stint with Northern Ireland, the two previously crossed paths in the League of Ireland. O’Neill did not speak with Stephen Kenny prior to the selection, relying instead on the recommendation of under-21 manager Tommy Wright.
“It wasn’t me that brought him in, it was Tommy Wright that brought him in initially and so he’s been around it,” O’Neill explained. He further noted that Wright praised Kenny’s performance levels and character.
Creating a Clear Pathway
Kenny has made one Championship appearance for Portsmouth since joining from Dundalk during the summer transfer window. O’Neill believes the upcoming fixtures against Ukraine on 14 November and Hungary on 17 November offer a valuable chance to observe the player directly, while demonstrating a clear route from the under-21 setup to the senior team.
“It just gives us a chance to see him really, otherwise we’re waiting on him getting minutes at Portsmouth,” O’Neill said. “I think it’s important that the 21s players see that there is a pathway for them because too often for a lot of players their international careers stopped at 21s.”
International allegiance has drawn attention recently, notably surrounding young Arsenal forward Ceadach O’Neill, who committed permanently to Northern Ireland after earning his fourth cap against Georgia last month. Similar speculation recently arose regarding under-21 international Conor Haughey after he scored the winning penalty in Fleetwood Town’s EFL Cup victory over Arsenal. O’Neill stated that he has not found it necessary to discuss international allegiance with the 19-year-old defender.
“We’ve no need to have those conversations,” O’Neill said. “At the end of the day, he’s part of our under-21 group and he’s on the radar of the senior squad.”
O’Neill attended Fleetwood’s match to watch Haughey and praised the centre-back’s overall performance against high-level opponents before his penalty heroics. Live coverage of Northern Ireland’s upcoming matches will air on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds, and the BBC Sport NI website.
