Is Donley Ready To Fill Ni's 'problem Position'?

Speaking earlier nan last world model of nan year, Northern Ireland head Michael O'Neill described nan number 9 jersey arsenic 1 position wherever he was "still searching for an option".

Almost 3 years since his return to nan job, and 4 months earlier a World Cup play-off semi-final, nan erstwhile Stoke City boss' selections person fixed nan belief that, if he is group connected 10 of his first-choice XI, centre-forward remains nan spot wherever he is astir unfastened to persuasion.

After adding that he "would emotion personification to really measurement up", connected Monday nighttime against Luxembourg it was nan move of Tottenham Hotspur attacker Jamie Donley to property his declare arsenic nan 3rd different subordinate to lead nan statement successful arsenic galore games.

With nan winning extremity from nan punishment spot, and an earlier effort chalked disconnected for an offside, nan 20-year-old - presently connected indebtedness astatine Stoke - surely made nan astir compelling lawsuit of immoderate subordinate to day for an extended tally successful nan position.

Indeed, O'Neill felt Donley was nan "best subordinate connected nan pitch" successful what was a dead-rubber qualifier for adjacent summer's World Cup successful North America.

"I wanted to spot him arsenic a nine," continued nan head aft Northern Ireland vanished their Group A run pinch 9 points from six games and successful 3rd spot down Germany and Slovakia.

"Look, there's nary concealed that nan 9 is simply a problem position for us. I deliberation Jamie has different attributes possibly from immoderate of nan different strikers.

"I thought he did really good successful nan game. He's clever, his link-up play is good. He is simply a very talented boy."

More utilized to playing successful a deeper position, Donley whitethorn not person nan physicality of a much orthodox number 9 but, rather speech from putting nan shot successful nan nett connected 2 occasions, he was a consenting runner successful nan channels too.

"You're nan past statement of attack," Donley said of nan main quality betwixt playing up beforehand compared to arsenic a number 10.

"Normally I'm down nan striker. I cognize I've ever sewage personification down me, but it's much astir moving and stretching nan game.

"I deliberation I tin adhd that to my crippled decidedly because I don't deliberation I do capable of that. Michael says that to maine a batch astir moving successful down because nan squad needs that sometimes."

Should Donley create his skills successful starring nan line, location is nary uncertainty his playmaking expertise from heavy would still beryllium an plus too.

There is nary amended illustration than England and Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, a subordinate Donley antecedently trained pinch astatine Spurs.

"He helped maine a batch erstwhile he was around," said Donley of Tottenham's grounds goalscorer who moved to Germany successful August 2024.

"Just different types of proposal and stuff. It's bully to study from nan best."

Kane's goalscoring feats came only aft a number of frustrating indebtedness spells distant from Tottenham earlier successful his profession pinch Donley presently enduring akin struggles.

Having impressed astatine Leyton Orient past season, and made his world debut while pinch nan Brisbane Road club, he has recovered things tougher successful nan Championship pinch Stoke this year.

Since nan commencement of September, he has played only 37 nine minutes, which successful move has hampered his world prospects.

Born successful Northern Ireland but raised successful England, Donley represented some astatine younker level and it was viewed arsenic a existent coup erstwhile O'Neill convinced him to move retired successful a greenish jersey astatine elder level successful March. Yet Monday represented his first commencement since that first world model pinch nan squad.

O'Neill thinks Donley has been "unlucky" not to person won much than six elder caps, but believes you tin ever spot his Premier League quality.

"He conscionable looks for illustration that subordinate that has been astatine a precocious level arsenic a young subordinate astatine a nine for illustration Tottenham each his days," he said.

"Obviously he's still a Tottenham subordinate astatine this infinitesimal successful time. He's conscionable sewage himself successful a business wherever his indebtedness has not gone arsenic good arsenic he'd hoped.

"That's happened to galore players. Many players person gone done that business wherever nan indebtedness is not ever a success, but they study from that arsenic well. He's only 20 years of age, truthful he's sewage it each up of him."

Such has been Donley's struggle for regular shot this play that he dropped backmost down to nan Northern Ireland Under-21s arsenic precocious arsenic past month.

Yet, connected nan astir caller evidence, he is now successful rod position to commencement what will beryllium nan country's biggest crippled successful astatine slightest 5 years travel nan play-off successful March.

O'Neill hopes nan "situation resolves itself" successful nan coming months, while Donley believes his world advancement tin assistance his nine prospects - successful move helping his chances of holding connected to Northern Ireland's number 9 jersey.

"I deliberation I request to beryllium playing astatine my nine to person immoderate chance of playing successful March because Michael speaks a batch astir that," he said.

"I deliberation [the Luxembourg showing] would person helped maine if personification from Stoke was watching and seeing that I've sewage a spot of quality. I'll spell backmost and spot what happens.

"It hasn't gone nan measurement that I've wanted it to but hopefully I tin commencement playing and scoring and that puts maine successful bully stead for nan games successful March."