Inside Northern Ireland’s football conveyor belt

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill is giving more young players opportunities in the national squad, raising the question of whether a new generation is emerging or the IFA’s academy is beginning to deliver. The residential programme at Campbell College aims to prepare elite teenagers for professional football and, potentially, senior international duty.

The academy has places for 24 boys aged 15 and 16, combining football training with education and life skills. Students describe balancing school with gym and pitch sessions, while keeping alternative routes open if a professional career does not materialise. O’Neill says regular staff updates help him track prospects and that early international experience can leave young players better prepared for moves to clubs in England or Scotland.