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Braiden Graham’s inclusion in the squad for the four-game window marking the start of the 2026 Nations League represents his second call-up to the senior Northern Ireland panel, following his initial selection for the June friendlies against Guinea and France.
The young forward was prepared to come on as a substitute in the latter match, but the final whistle blew before he could make his international debut. O’Neill felt Graham “deserved” that senior opportunity given the standard of his performances during the June training window.
When asked about the 5ft 9in striker’s future position, O’Neill stressed the importance of not pigeonholing him, noting that “every player develops physically differently”.
“I’ve watched him a lot, we’ve watched Braiden since he was young, I’ve seen him from like 14 or 15,” O’Neill said.
“Every player develops physically differently. It’s very difficult to play in the Premier League as a striker, look at the profile of what clubs want as their striker.
“But Braiden’s a very talented player, he’s a very technical player, a great finisher. He has a really good left foot, he’s smart in terms of how he plays.”
