Michael O'Neill wants Braiden Graham left open to different roles for now. The Everton teenager is 18, has been an unused substitute in three fixtures for Everton this season, and is being taken into Northern Ireland's squad for the Uefa Nations League quadruple-header that begins away to Georgia on 25 September.
O'Neill's view on Graham's role
"I think the most important thing is not to try and pigeonhole him into a position," Michael O'Neill told bbc.co.uk, speaking about Graham's development. He added that Graham is "adaptable" and said that "at this minute in time his best option would be to play a little bit off the side, possibly as a 10, maybe around a bigger striker if you play a front-two, which not many teams do."
That fits the current picture around the player. Graham has 0 Premier League appearances in 2026, 0 Premier League minutes in 2026 and 0 Premier League goals in 2026, so the case for patience is stronger than any rush to label him a centre-forward in full.
What Everton and Northern Ireland are seeing
O'Neill also said he has watched Graham for a long time, and that training has shown "a real high technical level and the ability to stick the ball in the net." He described him as "a very talented player," "a very technical player" and "a great finisher," while also pointing to a strong left foot and intelligence in his play.
That is exactly why the flexible route makes sense. Graham is young, he is still short of senior league minutes, and Everton do not need to force a fixed answer on him before the first-team minutes arrive. The squad call-up gives Northern Ireland a chance to keep working with him without pretending the position question is already settled.
The first test in that run comes away to Georgia on 25 September, when O'Neill's squad opens the Uefa Nations League quadruple-header.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
