West Ham youngster Patrick Kelly set to receive senior international call
West Ham youngster Patrick Kelly appears set for a call-up to the Northern Ireland senior squad, as reported by the Belfast Telegraph.
NI manager Michael O’Neill is naming a panel for a training camp ahead of his team’s upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Denmark.
The Hammers could be represented by Kelly who impressed in this season’s FA Youth Cup success, as well as stepping up to the U21 side in Premier League 2.
O’Neill will assess his players, ahead of naming the squad for the latest batch of qualifiers.
“Sunday Life Sport (BT sister title) revealed last week that Callum Marshall is in line to be selected by Michael O’Neill for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Denmark and Kazakhstan and now his fellow West Ham United FA Youth Cup winner is understood to be a serious contender to get the nod too,” it said.
“Kelly was part of the Under-21 squad that O’Neill brought in for training two weeks ago and he is thought to have impressed sufficiently for him to want another look at this week’s senior camp before selecting his final group to travel to Copenhagen.”
Top prospects
In the stunning 5-1 victory over Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup final in April, Kelly was lauded by the Evening Standard with this description after he played a starring role for the Hammers, “Outstanding in the middle of the park. Tenacious worker who tracked back brilliantly.”
He seized the opportunity with an excellent display, as the club ended a 24-year wait for the prestigious trophy.
The progress of young Hammers such as Kelly is very encouraging for the academy set-up, although he is still some way off a breakthrough at first-team level.
Due to a limited player pool, Northern Ireland often fast-track their best youngsters at full international level, with Kelly and Marshall being among their top prospects.
Even the experience of being part of the international squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers would be an invaluable learning curve for the pair who are making steady progress with West Ham.