Kenny's background 'not that important' to O'Neill

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill said new call-up Eoin Kenny's family connection to the Republic of Ireland is not something he considered before bringing him into the senior squad for this month's Nations League fixtures against Ukraine and Hungary.

The Portsmouth player, who joined the Championship side from Dundalk in the summer transfer window, is the son of former Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny.

A 20-year-old attacker, Eoin Kenny was born in Northern Ireland while his father was manager of Derry City but represented Republic of Ireland at under-19 level.

He switched to Northern Ireland to play under-21s, turning out 11 times for Tommy Wright's side and captaining them against Greece last month.

"The background is not really that important for me, if I'm honest. I just look at the lad as a player," said O'Neill.

"He's really enjoyed being in the Northern Ireland set-up and, I think off the back of a really strong under-21s campaign, he deserves the opportunity to be in the squad."

The former Stoke City boss added: "I would envisage that he's here because he wants to be here. The most important thing is that he has the chance to play international football."

While Stephen Kenny was named Republic of Ireland manager the same month - April 2020 - that Michael O'Neill ended his first stint as Northern Ireland boss, the pair had previously cross paths in the League of Ireland.

O'Neill, however, said he did not speak to Stephen Kenny before the call-up, but took on board the recommendation of Northern Ireland under-21 manager Tommy Wright.

"It wasn't me that brought him in, it was Tommy Wright that brought him in initially and so he's been around it," said O'Neill of Kenny's initial return to the Northern Ireland set-up last year.

"I knew of him obviously through Stephen, and that he played in the League of Ireland, but it was only when the eligibility thing came to the forefront and Tommy Wright had him in with the 21s [that he came on to O'Neill's radar].

"Tommy has been very positive about him in terms of his level of performance but also what he is like as a lad as well."

Kenny has made one Championship appearance for Portsmouth with O'Neill believing the upcoming window is a good opportunity to see the player up close, while also showing there is a path from under-21 to senior international football.

"It just gives us a chance to see him really, otherwise we're waiting on him getting minutes at Portsmouth.

"He's had some, but it's not been easy for him in terms of getting minutes. He's made a positive impact since he went there, but you never see the players truly until you get them in and get the chance to work with them. That was the rationale.

"I think it's important that the 21s players see that there is a pathway for them because too often for a lot of players their international careers stopped at 21s."

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."