The issue of international allegiance has again been an increasingly hot topic in the build-up to recent internationals, centred around young Arsenal forward Ceadach O’Neill.

The promising 18-year-old won his fourth cap for Northern Ireland against Georgia in the Nations League last month, tying him permanently to the side despite an attempt by the Republic of Ireland to encourage an international transfer.

After Northern Ireland under-21 international Conor Haughey hit the winning penalty in Fleetwood Town’s shock win over Arsenal in the EFL Cup last week – when Ceadach O’Neill made his debut for the Gunners – he became the latest subject of similar speculation.

O’Neill, however, said he has not felt the need to discuss the issue with the 19-year-old defender.

“We’ve no need to have those conversations,” he said.

“At the end of the day, he’s part of our under-21 group and he’s on the radar of the senior squad.

“We don’t have those conversations until it comes to the point that the player indicates that he would want to make an international transfer and we’re not at that point.”

O’Neill was at Highbury to witness Haughey’s headline-grabbing moment last week and was impressed by the centre-back’s display even before the penalty heroics.

“I normally would leave a game just before the end, but I stayed to the end in this case and stayed for the penalties,” he added.

“I was a little bit surprised to see Conor step up and take the fifth penalty, but it showed real confidence which is nice to see in a young player. It showed a really positive attitude.

“I felt he played well in the game, that was more important for me. He’s playing against [Viktor] Gyokeres, he’s playing against [Kai] Havertz, so to get through the game and take it to penalties was a big achievement for Fleetwood and big for a young player to be involved in that type of game.”



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