As the examples of Charles and his younger brother, Pierce, show, eligibility is key for a nation with a playing pool as small as Northern Ireland.
Sometimes players are scouted, sometimes the parents or agents of players approach the Irish FA, or clubs can alert the association to eligible players.
Sometimes, however, it is a case of being in the right place at the right time.
Joe Shields, who was head of youth recruitment at Manchester City at the time, got to know the Charles family and knew the brothers would be eligible through their mother, Mary, who comes from Northern Ireland.
After watching Shea progress, Shields contacted Andy Cousins, who was also working at City with emerging talent and with the Irish FA, and recommended that it would be good for his development to get involved in the pathway with Northern Ireland.
From there, Cousins introduced O’Neill to the Charles and Price families ahead of their debuts for the Club NI side.
While O’Neill says he was “being polite and saying hello”, it also served a bigger purpose. For an up and coming player like Charles, it left a lasting impression.
“It was really cool for us, to be able to see that the senior manager had that interest in the youth team,” said midfielder Charles, who has won 35 caps since making his NI debut in March 2023.
“It was really good to see that he does look at those younger age groups and for boys who maybe have a chance to come through.
“It really helped me get to know the boys, the coaches, the whole set-up and eventually going on my first senior camp and making my debut. It was really special and shows that the pathway was really important.”
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