Michael O’Neill has spent almost three years back at the helm and, with a World Cup play-off semi-final looming in March, there’s one persistent headache he can’t quite shake: the number nine.
Ten of his starting XI feel settled, but the centre-forward role has been a revolving door a spot where he’s still searching for a player to step up and own it.
On a mild Monday night in Luxembourg, 20-year-old Jamie Donley delivered his most convincing audition yet.
Deployed as a spearhead rather than his usual creative outlet, the Tottenham youngster, currently on loan at Stoke, grabbed a penalty that proved to be the winner and saw another effort wiped out for offside. O’Neill hailed him as the best player on the pitch, and for once, the manager’s hunt for a nine looked as if it might be over.
A different type of striker
Donley isn’t the archetypal centre-forward. He’s more of a creator turned finisher: clever, comfortable linking play, and used to operating from a deeper number 10 role.
That difference could be precisely what Northern Ireland need. O’Neill praised Donley’s intelligence and willingness to run the channels, arguing the teenager brings attributes that contrast with the more traditional physical target men the team has tried.
Donley himself admitted the shift up front demands different instincts. “You’re the last line of attack,” he said, explaining how leading the line is about stretching defences and timing runs — habits he’s actively adding to his game after coaching from O’Neill.
Learning from the best
There’s precedent for creative players remoulding into elite strikers: Harry Kane’s evolution from a deeper role into one of the world’s most feared finishers was part guidance, part painful loan spells early on.
Donley trained alongside Kane at Tottenham and says those sessions — and the advice — stuck with him.
He’s endured his own stops and starts: a bright season at Leyton Orient, a tough spell in the Championship, and barely 37 club minutes since September.
O’Neill is sympathetic. He describes Donley as a player who clearly carries Premier League pedigree in his play, despite an underwhelming loan so far. At 20, the manager believes there’s time for Donley to absorb the lessons of sporadic minutes and return stronger.
From Under-21s to front-runner
Donley’s senior international story has been fast and fractured. Born in Northern Ireland but raised in England, he represented both countries at youth level before O’Neill persuaded him to commit to the green shirt. His six senior caps have been thin on starts; he even dropped back to the Under-21s last month.
Monday’s display, however, changes the narrative — putting him top of the pile to lead Northern Ireland into the spring play-off.
O’Neill hopes club circumstances will “resolve themselves,” knowing that consistent minutes at Stoke, or elsewhere, will be crucial if Donley is to keep the mantle. Donley is pragmatic: strong international showings can boost his club case, and more minutes and goals at club level will cement his spot for March.
The road to March
If Donley can translate his Luxembourg form into regular club appearances, Northern Ireland might have finally found a modern solution for a long-troubled position: a nine who brings creativity, movement and finishing in equal measure.
The coming weeks will be decisive. For now, Donley has handed O’Neill something rare — a genuine selection headache that feels like a good one to have.
