Sunderland's Dan Ballard and Trai Hume have been included in the Northern Ireland squad for their Euro 2024 qualifying double-header later this month. The Wearside duo are part of a 26-man party named by Michael O'Neill for the home games against San Marino and Finland at Windsor Park, although Sunderland skipper Corry Evans misses out after his season-ending cruciate ligament injury.
Centre-back Ballard - who has been capped 16 times by his country - returns to the Northern Ireland squad for the first time since his summer move from Arsenal to Sunderland, having been injured for the last round of qualifiers at the end of September. Right-back Hume made his senior international debut in March last yearand added a second cap in June, but had not been in the national squad since.
Northern Ireland take on San Marino on Thursday, March 23, and then face Finland on Sunday, March 26 O'Neill's squad also includes former Sunderland men in Middlesbrough's Paddy McNair and Leicester City's Jonny Evans, while two more former Black Cats - Shrewsbury Town's Tom Flanagan and Linfield's Kyle Lafferty - miss out.
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This is O'Neill's first squad since returning for a second spell in charge of Northern Ireland, having succeeded Ian Baraclough in December.
His first stint started in 2011 and he combined the role with that of Stoke City manager when he took over the Potters in November 2019, before quitting as national boss in April of 2020.
He was sacked by Stoke in August following a defeat against Sunderland at the bet365 Stadium, with the Potters replacing him with then-Black Cats boss Alex Neil.
Northern Ireland squad
Goalkeepers: Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Burnley), Conor Hazard (HJK Helsinki), Luke Southwood
(Cheltenham Town, on loan from Reading)
Defenders: Jonny Evans (Leicester City), Craig Cathcart (Watford), Daniel Ballard (Sunderland),
Conor Bradley (Bolton Wanderers, on loan from Liverpool), Jamal Lewis (Newcastle United),
Ciaron Brown (Oxford United), Trai Hume (Sunderland), Eoin Toal (Bolton Wanderers)
Midfielders: Paddy McNair (Middlesbrough), Shane Ferguson (Rotherham United), George
Saville (Millwall), Jordan Thompson (Stoke City), Shea Charles (Manchester City), Cameron
McGeehan (KV Oostende), Isaac Price (Everton), Sean Goss (Motherwell)
Forwards: Josh Magennis (Wigan Athletic), Conor Washington (Rotherham United), Gavin Whyte
(Cardiff City), Dion Charles (Bolton Wanderers), Conor McMenamin (Glentoran), Matthew Kennedy
(Aberdeen), Dale Taylor (Burton Albion, on loan from Nottingham Forest)
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