Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill is planning to give Kieran Morrison his international debut next month after seeing the Liverpool prospect sign a new long-term deal at Anfield.
On Wednesday Liverpool announced that the 19-year-old Morrison, nominated for Premier League 2 Player of the Season after scoring 14 goals and providing four assists for Liverpool’s youngsters, has signed a new deal that runs to 2030.
Morrison was called into Northern Ireland’s squad for the first time in March, but after O’Neill’s side lost their World Cup qualifying play-off away to Italy, his hopes of featuring in their friendly away to Wales came to nought as O’Neill shuffled his pack.
But the 19-year-old is back in the squad for the upcoming friendlies against Guinea and France at the start of the month and when asked if he was in his thoughts to make a first appearance, O’Neill’s response was “very much so”.
Kieran Morrison, pictured on first-team duty last season for Liverpool, is expected to make his senior international debut during Northern Ireland's friendlies against Guinea and France. (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)placeholder image
Kieran Morrison, pictured on first-team duty last season for Liverpool, is expected to make his senior international debut during Northern Ireland's friendlies against Guinea and France. (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
“We hope to get Kieran on the pitch,” O’Neill told the Press Association. “It was difficult with the Italy game and then against Wales, having the bodies to do it.
“Kieran’s in that situation where he’s trying to break into a top, top Premier League team but he’s having a great season in Liverpool’s under-21s.
“I know there’ll be a lot of clubs who will look at Kieran as a potential loan option, and whether that’s the route Liverpool want to go down will be determined.
“But for us, hopefully Kieran is ready to make that step. Hopefully the games allow us to get minutes into these young players and give them a chance to show what they’re capable of.”
Morrison is joined in O’Neill’s squad by fellow Premier League prospects Braiden Graham and Ceadach O’Neill, two 18-year-olds who started out at Linfield before joining Everton and Arsenal respectively.
Graham has scored 22 goals in 31 appearances for Everton’s under-21s this term, plus four in four for the under-18s. He has two goals in four appearances for Northern Ireland’s under-19s.
O’Neill has 13 goals in 17 appearances for Arsenal’s under-18s and two in eight for their under-21s, and has been capped three times by Northern Ireland at under-21 level.
Both players have been in the Irish FA’s academy from a young age.
“We’ve known about Braiden and Ceadach since they were 14, 15 years of age,” O’Neill said. “I think it’s just the next step for them (to be called up). It gives me a chance to see them.
“They’re trying to break into first teams that are extremely tough for any young player, to make that step without a situation where they go to the EFL first and have some sort of loan.
“Once they’re in that situation they’re very much in our thoughts. The main thing was to bring them in and let them see that there’s a clear pathway for them here.
“We believe they are two players with really high potential and we believe they can take the next step in the not too distant future with the senior squad.”