Michael O'Neill prioritises club minutes at a high level and commitment when selecting Northern Ireland squads. He named a 26-man squad for qualifiers against Luxembourg and Germany, recalling goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell. Peacock-Farrell has 48 caps but had been absent since November 2024 before rejoining the panel amid injuries to Conor Hazard and doubts over Pierce Charles. Peacock-Farrell is on loan at Blackpool from Birmingham, his fifth club in as many seasons, and has conceded 11 goals in four League One games. O'Neill expects Peacock-Farrell to regain his best form and notes his strong performances during loan spells.
As he prepares for his third World Cup qualifying campaign as Northern Ireland manager, Michael O'Neill has firmly established his selection policies. While the most repeated criteria has been the importance of his players getting as many minutes at as a high a level as possible when it comes to their club careers, another is the notion that no player showing the sufficient commitment to the cause will be cast aside by the former Newcastle United and Dundee United midfielder.
Peacock-Farrell's international comeback, however, has come at difficult juncture in his club career. He is currently on loan at Blackpool from Birmingham - with the League One side his fifth club in as many seasons. And it has been a rocky start with Steve Bruce's side who have conceded 11 goals in his four league games to date. O'Neill, though, expects to see Peacock-Farrell's best form soon.
#northern-ireland #bailey-peacock-farrell #michael-oneill #goalkeeper-selection #world-cup-qualifying
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