Northern Ireland: Could promising 2024 lead to even bigger ’25 for Michael O’Neill’s side
Steven Davis and Jonny Evans, first and fourth on Northern Ireland’s men’s all-time appearance list, hang up their boots in 2024, but the latter continues to play for Manchester United Potency.
In addition, another key player, Stuart Dallas, is also one of the few players on the team with extensive Premier League experience. He was forced to retire due to injury at the age of 32.
In its place is a new leadership group that is expected to grow significantly over the next 12 months.
Liverpool’s Conor Bradley has had a stellar year in 2024, from his breakthrough performance against Chelsea in January to his Kylian Mbappe’s viral tackle November.
Among those standout moments for the club, the 21-year-old scored his first goal for his country in the win over Scotland before going on to score three more goals throughout the calendar year and wear Got it Captain’s armband Two of six games since Evans retired.
The captaincy role will rotate through a successful Nations League campaign, with Trae Hume and Shay Charles also taking turns at the helm, with Northern Ireland finishing top of a group that also includes Bulgaria, Belarus and Luxembourg.
The young trio look to be key to Northern Ireland’s success in 2025 and beyond, but there will be interest in who, if anyone, is named captain more often this year.
