Brodie Spencer credits collective contribution as key to keeping individual club superstars off the scoresheet across an international window which has left Northern Ireland standing solo.
Spencer may spend his bread-and-butter matchdays at League One-based Oxford United outside the global top table featuring high-profile names such as PSG hero Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai – but the Northern Ireland defender and his team-mates can now claim three clean sheets against two of the biggest names in European football.
The 22-year-old wrapped up his UEFA Nations League four-game window to remember with a brief but important appearance off the substitutes’ bench against Georgia on Monday, helping Northern Ireland home to another unbeaten outcome against Kvaratskhelia and colleagues.
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His previous introduction off the sidelines in Belfast allowed Northern Ireland to pick up a point and frustrate Szoboszlai’s Hungary across an unbeaten international run of eight points from four Nations League fixtures, the highlight a 3-0 victory over Ukraine.
Brodie Spencer (left) and Patrick Kelly salute the Northern Ireland supporters. (Photo by Andrew McCarroll/Pacemaker Press)placeholder image
Brodie Spencer (left) and Patrick Kelly salute the Northern Ireland supporters. (Photo by Andrew McCarroll/Pacemaker Press)
"Especially with how young our team is with two centre-backs who are 20 (Tom Atcheson) and 21 (Ruairi McConville), to be able to keep four clean sheets is a massive credit to not only the defenders but the whole team,” said Spencer after Monday’s scoreless draw with Georgia. "We work together and help each other out.
"We know how good he is (Kvaratskhelia) and we know we need to stay focused with players like him at all times.
"We're all able to help each other out, I know if I'm going out there to defend I'm not going to be by myself, which which also gives me a lot of confidence.
"You want to test yourself against the best at every opportunity you get, so to be able to do it again tonight was very positive."
Spencer picked out team gains as the biggest reward from the progress enjoyed against Georgia, Hungary and Ukraine.
"The clean sheets...it's so important at international level you give yourself that opportunity to win the game,” said Spencer. ”You do that by giving yourself clean sheets, which is what we've been able to do.
“Another clean sheet, positive and we build on that…it's been a good campaign."