Four new faces as O'Neill names Northern Ireland squad

There are four new faces in Michael O’Neill’s first squad since returning to the Northern Ireland hot seat.

Isaac Price, Eoin Toal, Sean Goss and Cameron McGeehan have been called up to the senior squad for the first time ahead of the games against San Marino and Finland at Windsor Park later this month.

Nineteen-year-old Everton midfielder Price, who made his Premier League debut last season, has featured for the U17, U19 and U21 teams in recent years.

Armagh man Toal joined Bolton Wanderers from Derry City last summer captained the U21s at a time and has also featured at U17 and U19 level.

Twenty-seven-year-old Goss had been called up in 2018 during O’Neill’s first spell in charge but the Motherwell midfielder missed out through injury.

His Fir Park team mate Goss is a former Manchester United youth player and also played at senior level for Queens Park Rangers, Rangers (loan), St Johnstone (loan) and Shrewsbury Town.

McGeehan, who currently plays in Belgium for KV Oostende, also was called up in 2018 and missed out through injury.

There are also call ups for Dale Taylor, who is on loan at Burton Albion from Nottingham Forest, and Aberdeen’s Matthew Kennedy who was last capped in March 2021 in a World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria.

Missing out are captain Steven Davis, Corry Evans, Stuart Dallas and Alistair McCann through injury, while there are no places for Tom Flanagan, Paddy Lane, Kofi Balmer and Kyle Lafferty, all of whom were in the previous squad.

Shayne Lavery also misses out through injury, but Conor Washington returns, as does defender Daniel Ballard.

Northern Ireland squad

Goalkeepers: Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Burnley), Conor Hazard (HJK Helsinki), Luke Southwood (Cheltenham Town, on loan from Reading).

Defenders: Jonny Evans (Leicester City), Craig Cathcart (Watford), Daniel Ballard (Sunderland), Conor Bradley (Bolton Wanderers, on loan from Liverpool), Jamal Lewis (Newcastle United), Ciaron Brown (Oxford United), Trai Hume (Sunderland), Eoin Toal (Bolton Wanderers).

Midfielders: Paddy McNair (Middlesbrough), Shane Ferguson (Rotherham United), George Saville (Millwall), Jordan Thompson (Stoke City), Shea Charles (Manchester City), Cameron McGeehan (KV Oostende), Isaac Price (Everton), Sean Goss (Motherwell).

Forwards: Josh Magennis (Wigan Athletic), Conor Washington (Rotherham United), Gavin Whyte (Cardiff City), Dion Charles (Bolton Wanderers), Conor McMenamin (Glentoran), Matthew Kennedy (Aberdeen), Dale Taylor (Burton Albion, on loan from Nottingham Forest).