The class and composure of Shea Charles’ Northern Ireland debut against Greece shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone with a passing appreciation of the sport.
Undoubtedly it was a special moment for the teenager and a proud one for his Newry-born mum watching on from the main stand at Windsor Park on Thursday night.
But when you’ve trained under the forensic tutelage of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, it's a fair bet that a late cameo in South Belfast falls well within your comfort zone.
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Clutching his match worn shirt while conducting media interviews afterwards - “I’m framing it and putting it in my room” - Charles said: “I didn’t expect to be playing but I’ll take every opportunity that comes.
“The manager (Ian Baraclough) told me to go on and do my thing and that’s what I did. It was a very proud moment. My mum was at the game, so I’m sure she was well happy.
“It was disappointing to lose, but making your international debut is one of the biggest highs you can have. It was a great feeling to come on and the crowd was brilliant.
“Because it was near the end of the game there was quite a bit of space and I could use it to get on the ball. I just enjoyed myself out there.”
Charles was the eleventh debutant of Baraclough’s reign and the 18-year-old didn’t disappoint with an assured 15 minutes as a substitute in Thursday's frustrating 1-0 Nations League defeat to Greece.
The versatile midfielder was a regular for City’s U23 team last season but has yet to kick a ball in anger at senior level with the Premier League giants.
However, training with Guardiola’s first team squad and mixing with the likes of Rodri and De Bruyne on a regular basis offers an insight into how highly he is rated at the Etihad.
“Whenever I train with the first team, the standard is so high and you’re always learning,” said the young Mancunian. “I’d come up against the likes of Rodri and Fernandinho in training.
“It’s tough but it’s also enjoyable. You learn a lot, not just from those two players, but the whole team and obviously the coaching staff.”
Does he plan to pursue regular senior football next season by going out on loan or is he happy continuing his football education with City?
“We’ll see what happens next year,” he said. “It depends on how training is going and taking it each game as it goes.”
Charles is also learning while training alongside Northern Ireland senior stars Steven Davis and Jonny Evans who have 33 years international experience and 230 caps between them.
He’s also eager to add to his own modest tally in the three remaining Nations League games this month, with Cyprus next up in Larnaca tomorrow.
“It’s good to look up to Steven Davis and Jonny Evans on and off the pitch, how professional they are in and around the hotel,” said Charles.
“I also learned a lot from Gareth McAuley who was one of our under-19 coaches. He did a lot with the defensive department and we learned a lot from him.
“Hopefully I can get more game time in the next three games, push on from here and get more caps.
“I can’t wait to play more games and show the supporters what I can do and show how I can perform in the green shirt.”
On bouncing back against Cyprus, Charles said: "It’s important to hopefully get a win in Cyprus. It would boost the confidence for the next two games after that."
Northern Ireland conclude this month's Nations League quadruple header with another away game in Kosovo on Thursday followed by a home fixture against Cyprus next Sunday.
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