Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill has expressed disappointment over the decision to switch from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland. The 17-year-old footballer, who made history in 2022 as the youngest senior footballer in the United Kingdom at 13 years and 329 days old, had represented Northern Ireland at Under-16 and Under-17 level. However, he has now changed his allegiance to the republic of Ireland, stating that every player has the right to make such a decision.