O'neill Gives Me 'freedom' To Score Goals - Price

Fifa World Cup qualifier: Slovakia v Northern Ireland

Venue: Kosice, Slovakia Date: Friday, 14 November Kick-off: 19:45 GMT

Coverage: Live connected BBC Two NI and BBC iPlayer; unrecorded audio commentary connected BBC Sports Extra, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Sounds pinch unrecorded matter commentary and in-play clips connected nan BBC Sport website and app

Northern Ireland midfielder Isaac Price says nan "freedom" that head Michael O'Neill gives him to get into attacking positions has contributed importantly to his world goalscoring exploits.

The 22-year-old has recovered nan nett 10 times successful conscionable 26 appearances, including a hat-trick successful a 5-0 Nations League triumph against Bulgaria astatine Windsor Park successful October 2024.

The West Bromwich Albion subordinate is 1 of an breathtaking harvest of young players who person Northern Ireland fans dreaming of a imaginable travel to North America for adjacent year's World Cup finals.

"If you look astatine my profession earlier [I played for] Northern Ireland I didn't people galore goals astatine all," Price told BBC Sport NI.

"I had 18 months aliases truthful wherever I only scored 1 extremity and I astir apt played a small spot deeper and astir apt didn't judge that I had nan goals successful me.

"Michael told maine he thought I'm an attacking threat, I should get successful nan container and past I had 12 months wherever nan shot wouldn't extremity going into nan net.

"I deliberation it's nan state that nan head gives me. I'm successful a position wherever I'm ever successful and astir nan container and I get a batch of chances."

Northern Ireland's last 2 upcoming World Cup qualifiers spot them look Slovakia distant connected Friday and past big Luxembourg successful Belfast connected Monday arsenic they purpose to unafraid nan 2nd spot successful their group which would unafraid progression to nan play-offs adjacent March.

O'Neill's men will apt beryllium capable to autumn backmost connected their Nations League group occurrence past twelvemonth to beforehand should they neglect to clinch runner-up spot.

They must look nan Slovakians without Ethan Galbraith, while Brodie Spencer, Shea Charles and Ali McCann are each connected nan injured list.

"Two really important games for us. We're coming successful a fewer bodies down from erstwhile camps and they're a large miss for america but it's a awesome opportunity for different players to measurement up," added nan erstwhile Everton and Standard Liege player.

"They've been cardinal players for america complete nan past 18 months to a twelvemonth and they're each doing really good astatine nine level and erstwhile they travel present they look moreover better.

"We cognize we've sewage a reliable trial up successful Slovakia. They person value and we hit them 2-0 astatine location truthful we cognize they'll beryllium looking for immoderate revenge."

The 22-year-old made his world debut arsenic a substitute against San Marino successful March 2023 but says nan tight-knit quality of nan group and nan consistency successful style of play makes it easy for caller arrivals to furniture in.

"It's a small spot nerve-racking erstwhile you're young. You possibly haven't been astir these environments earlier but it pushes your profession connected and it's easy to settee into this team, it's rather a young team. I deliberation it's conscionable a awesome group of lads successful general.

"The measurement we want to play is beautiful clear. There's been a consistency successful nan measurement we've played since I've been here."

Having made their people connected nan world shape pinch immoderate awesome performances, Price believes nan adjacent measurement for nan youthful squad is to suffice for tournaments.

"There's a assurance and an eagerness and belief that we're bully capable to play successful those tournaments and aft nan past six to 12 months there's astir apt a spot of an anticipation connected america now.

"Some group connected nan extracurricular looking successful astir apt didn't deliberation that we had nan value that we person but I deliberation it's bully for america - nan higher nan anticipation gets nan amended we'll get.

"Everyone present believes we are bully capable to spell to a awesome tournament."