Northern Ireland Under-19s boss Gareth McAuley is excited by the next crop of elite young players coming his way.
McAuley is staging a training camp for U18 players in Belfast this week and he is impressed by them.
The four-day gathering is part of preparations for U19 Euro qualifiers this autumn.
Several of the players involved have previously played for Northern Ireland at U17 level, however there are three new faces. Leeds United defender Luke Matykiewicz and Southampton defender Broghan Sewell are getting their first taste of the Northern Ireland set-up along with Cliftonville midfielder Joe Sheridan.
McAuley pointed out: “There is a really good culture about them. Many of them have had a little bit of success at U17 and they've kind of brought that with them, a little bit of belief. So there's plenty to work with.
“I talked to them yesterday about going from development into performance. My job is to teach them how to win, how to be winners, how football is played in a slightly different way at U19 to what they've maybe been used to.”
He said the camp was “massively important” in terms of giving the players a head start going into the qualifiers in the autumn.
McAuley explained his role covers coaching, mentoring, acting as a father figure and even helping players to find clubs.
He said: “It's a blend of everything. As coaching staff we say that we're just here for them. We want them all to be senior international players, so we're here to facilitate whatever they need.”
McAuley further explained coaches in the Northern Ireland set-up, who have experienced different levels of the game, are always keen to share their knowledge and help young players to carve out a career in professional football.
The 23 players involved in this week’s Northern Ireland U18 training camp are:
Goalkeepers - Josh Gracey (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Owen Grainger (Leeds United).
Defenders – Callum Leacock (Linfield), Calum Moreland (Aston Villa), Noah McDonnell (Aberdeen), Broghan Sewell (Southampton), Luke Matykiewicz (Leeds United), Darragh McCann (Ipswich Town), Ben Wilson (Glenavon), Coist Walker (Crusaders), Senan Devine (Coleraine).
Midfielders – Callum Burnside and Blaine McClure (both Rangers), Dylan Stitt (Luton Town), Jack Doherty (Fleetwood Town), Troy Savage (Burnley), Max Wilson (Preston North End), Matthew Burns (Coleraine), Joe Sheridan (Cliftonville).
Forwards – Ceadach O’Neill (Arsenal), Ryan Corrigan (Cliftonville), Sid Eldred (Ipswich Town), Joel Kerr (Glentoran).
