Northern Ireland have handed their first senior call-ups to teenage West Ham United striker Callum Marshall, Larne forward Lee Bonis and Nottingham Forest defender Aaron Donnelly ahead of their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifier double-header against Denmark and Kazakhstan. The trio are part of a 25-strong squad, which has been taking part in a training camp this week to maintain players’ fitness levels after the end of the season.
Defender Jonny Evans, who is currently out of contract, returns and will likely be captain. The Bolton Wanderers defender Eoin Toal has pulled out with an ankle injury, while strikers Josh Magennis and Conor Washington are out injured after being involved in March, and captain Steven Davis and Stuart Dallas remain unavailable with long-term injuries. Sunderland defender Daniel Ballard and Rotherham United left back Shane Ferguson also miss out through injury.
Midfielder Ethan Galbraith, without club after leaving Manchester United following a loan spell at Salford City, has been recalled by manager Michael O’Neill, as has Portsmouth winger Paddy Lane. Preston North End midfielder Ali McCann and Blackpool forward Shayne Lavery return after missing the international games in March through injury. Manchester City midfielder Shea Charles, who made his Premier League debut from the bench on the final day of the season, retains his place and will link up with the squad after City’s Champions League final against Inter Milan on Saturday night.
Marshall, 18, signed his first professional contract with West Ham in November, having impressed after joining the London club from Irish Premiership side Linfield, and scored in the Hammers’ Youth Cup final win over Arsenal in April. Nineteen-year-old Forest defender Donnelly spent the first half of the 2022-23 campaign with Forest’s under-21s before moving to Port Vale on loan in January, making 20 appearances in helping the side avoid relegation from League One. Bonis, 23, moved into full-time football when he joined Larne from Portadown in January 2022 and he has attracted interest from a number of English clubs after spearheading the Invermen’s attack as they won the Irish Premiership for the first time last season.
Northern Ireland, bidding to qualify for their first major finals since Euro 2016, are fifth in Group H, three points behind leaders Slovenia.