Who has 'no ceiling' as Northern Ireland shine in Nations League?
Northern Ireland's football team achieved a significant 3-0 victory over Ukraine in the Nations League with a squad featuring an average age of 22. The performance was praised for its tactical maturity and the emergence of young talent like Ciaron Brown.
Why it matters
The success of such a young squad suggests a positive future for Northern Irish football and highlights the effectiveness of their current youth development pipeline.
Figure caption, Highlights: Northern Ireland top of group with seven points from three games
Michael O'Neill had spent the build-up to Northern Ireland's Nations League outing against Ukraine playing down memories of their famous win at Euro 2016.
His focus was firmly on what was to come rather than reflect on the past.
If a stunning 3-0 victory on Friday night was anything to go by, it's going to be a pretty exciting future indeed.
His starting team had an average age of just 22, which was the youngest on record for Northern Ireland since World War Two.
Oxford's Ciaron Brown, the only player over the age of 25 to start the game in Trnava, Slovakia, was in the right place to open the scoring in the ninth minute from Ruairi McConville's knockdown.
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