Ronan Hale: Nice to have Ross County striker available after switch – NI manager Michael O’Neill
Including Hale as well as members of young forwards Dale Taylor and Lee Bonis, this means O’Neill chose to leave experienced forward Josh Magennis.
Magennis played for Exeter in the first season of the league, scoring 12 goals with 82 international blocks.
“I didn’t bring Josh to this roster because taking Josh away at this stage of the season, not using him isn’t the right thing for him,” O’Neal added.
“He could take a break, but it also gave me a chance to see people like Lee Bonis, Dale Taylor and Ronan Hale.
“It’s important that all squads have transitions, but the players who are excluded are still very important to us.”
O’Neal added that in 2024, when Northern Ireland won the National League Group in the league, it was “a very important year for us”.
NI will face Slovakia, Luxembourg and will face the German National League playoff champions in the 2026 World Cup qualifying round in September.
“We have made a lot of progress from a good year, especially among many young lads and their potential.
“These March and June games give us the opportunity to watch the team and prepare for the September challenge in the best way.
“You have to keep moving forward. It’s important that we do that.”
