Northern Ireland's Kelly Looks to Cement Place as Nations League Opens
The short version
- Paddy Kelly, 21, is Barnsley vice-captain and has four Northern Ireland caps
- His first senior international goal came in a 3-1 friendly defeat by France in June
- Northern Ireland open their Nations League window away to Georgia on Friday at 17:00 BST
- Further fixtures: Hungary at home (28 Sept), Ukraine in Slovakia (2 Oct), Georgia at home (5 Oct)
The 21-year-old Barnsley midfielder, coming off a first senior goal against France, heads into a busy four-match window with Georgia, Hungary and Ukraine.
Paddy Kelly, 21, has quickly become an important player at both club and international level. The midfielder joined League One side Barnsley last season after three years with West Ham United, including a loan spell at Doncaster Rovers, and has appeared in every game this term while serving as vice-captain.
He broke into the Northern Ireland squad in November, debuting in a 1-0 victory over Luxembourg under manager Michael O'Neill. His first goal at senior level arrived in a 3-1 friendly loss to France in Lille in June, taking his cap total to four.
Kelly told BBC Sport NI that earning a call-up is only the beginning, noting that holding down a place is the tougher challenge given the competition within the squad. He also drew parallels between the international setup and Barnsley, where manager Conor Hourihane has favored youth in a squad averaging around 24 years of age.
Northern Ireland open the window Friday away to Georgia at 17:00 BST. They host Hungary at Windsor Park on Monday, 28 September, play Ukraine in Trnava, Slovakia on Friday, 2 October, and finish at home to Georgia on Monday, 5 October. Kelly believes the compressed schedule, new to international football, will not trouble a group used to demanding club calendars.