Michael O’Neill called it an ‘easy decision’ to name Shea Charles as Northern Ireland captain for Friday’s penultimate Nations League fixture against Belarus.
Continuing his policy of rotating the armband throughout this campaign, O’Neill has handed the midfielder the honour following Trai Hume in September and Conor Bradley last month.
Charles, on loan at Sheffield Wednesday from Southampton, was outstanding in last month’s 5-0 rout of Bulgaria and has been a dependable fixture in midfield since his debut a little over two years ago.
“For me it was an easy decision,” O’Neill said. “Shea is a player who since we put him in the team has taken an enormous amount of responsibility on the pitch for such a young player so putting an armband on him doesn’t change that.
“I think Shea has the attributes to play at the highest level of the game. He also has the temperament to play at the highest level and that’s what you are looking for as a captain.
“Whether Shea has the armband or not he is always going to be one of your leaders on the pitch. He deserves this opportunity.”
Charles, who captained Manchester City’s under-21s in his final season with his boyhood club before joining Southampton last summer, said it was another proud moment for him and his family, a month after he got to play for Northern Ireland alongside his brother, goalkeeper Pierce Charles.
“It came as a bit of surprise with Conor and Trai being captain in the last two camps,” the 21-year-old said. “I’m just looking forward to leading the team out.
“I just want to lead by example on and off the pitch. Hopefully if I play well I can help others with me and keep the team together.”
Charles was a regular at international level before he had even played senior club football but his development in the last 18 months is obvious, benefitting from regular first-team football with Southampton last season and now Wednesday.
“The biggest benefit I see in Shea, and probably playing in the Championship has helped him with this, is without the ball,” O’Neill said.
“We all know his quality of passing and understanding of the game. You can tell he has been at a club where he has been coached at the highest level of the game but where he has really improved is without the ball. In the Championship you have to do that.
“Shea doesn’t need to be coached. He just needs games and the more he plays this season and next season will elevate him as a player.”
With two games left to play – Friday’s match and then a trip to Luxembourg on Monday – Northern Ireland sit top of Group C3, one point above Friday’s visitors and two clear of Bulgaria.
Belarus frustrated them in a 0-0 draw behind closed doors in Hungary and may seek to deploy the same deep line they used effectively in the second half of that match, and O’Neill has told his players they must expect a difficult night.
“If you win the game in the 89th minute it still counts the same as a 5-0 victory, so we have to manage the patience, manage the frustration if it’s not going our way,” he said.
“We also have to realise this will be a tough game. They will come into this thinking they can win the group as well. There’s a lot at stake for Belarus as well.”