Despite being together for 16 straight days only a month ago, when Northern Ireland players reconvened this week for Nations League fixtures against Ukraine and Hungary there was still plenty of catching up to do.
Whether it be Pierce Charles’ incredible double-save of Jarrod Bowen’s penalty to preserve a point for Queens Park Rangers against West Ham, Isaac Price putting his own spot-kick woe behind him back at West Bromwich Albion, or Terry Devlin’s double for Portsmouth against Swansea, there have been memorable moments aplenty for Michael O’Neill’s squad back in club colours.
Most pleasing to the manager, however, will likely be the game time currently enjoyed by his players.
O’Neill has never shied away from the importance of a player’s club situation to their international ambitions and, almost four years after his return to the Northern Ireland job, the message has clearly hit home.
Of what is a 24-man squad for games against Ukraine on Saturday and Hungary three days later, nine players made either a permanent or loan switch during the summer.
And while once the former Stoke City boss had to heavily rely on players who were getting precious few minutes in between international windows, now the group is full of regulars across England top three divisions.
Excluding the uncapped trio of Dermot Mee, Eoin Kenny and Braiden Graham, the remainder of the panel for this double-header have averaged over 1,000 minutes of club action during the 2026-27 campaign.
Of that group, only Tom Atcheson, who has been carrying a knock, Paddy McNair, Kieran Morrison and Callum Marshall have started fewer than four games since the side’s most recent international against Georgia last month.