Michael O'Neill hits out at FAI over 'approach' for Arsenal teen

O'Neill is annoyed that a player of such a tender age is being asked to commit his international future

Ceadach O'Neill won his first two Northern Ireland caps in friendlies against Guinea and France. Pic: ©INPHO/Presseye/William Cherry

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill has blasted the FAI for what he claims is an ‘approach’ for Arsenal teen Ceadach O’Neill.

The Derry native, who turned 18 in April, was fast-tracked into the seniors in May, winning his first two caps in friendlies against Guinea and France, and has been retained today for the upcoming Uefa Nations League quadruple-header.

O’Neill was irked by a vow from new FAI director of football John Martin earlier this year about missing out on Northern-born players with a nationalist background, with Conor Bradley namechecked.

He is also annoyed that a player of such a tender age is being asked to commit his international future, contrasting with their policy of undertaking approaches later.

It now appears that the FAI’s desire to enlist O’Neill to their cause is over, as one minute on the pitch in any of the upcoming games against Georgia (twice), Ukraine and Hungary will prevent any transfer for three years.

“(Ceadach) has been in our pathway since he’s been a young boy,” began O’Neill, as reported by the Belfast Telegraph.

“He’s been part of our academy. He’s obviously had an approach from another association, which happens.

“He doesn’t have a bloodline to there, but obviously the rules permit them to make that approach.

“The thing that upsets me the most in this is that putting a young player in a position to make an international transfer before he’s been a professional for even two years is, I think, not the right thing.

“It’s not something that any association should be doing."

He added: “We’ve done two international transfers in my time. Jamie Donley, who is now a senior international, and Ronan Hale, who was 25 at the time when we asked him to make that decision.

“I think there’s a point in a player’s career where you’ve just got to let him play and develop, enjoy his football without creating a situation like this, because we haven’t created this situation.

“Ceadach’s been in our system all along, and he’s in our squad now.” 

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson names his squad for their Uefa Nations League games on Thursday morning.