Important not to 'pigeonhole' Graham - O'Neill
Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill says there is no rush for Everton's Braiden Graham to find his best position.
Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill says there is no rush for Everton's Braiden Graham to find his best position.
The former Linfield attacker started his career as a central striker, a long-standing problem position for his international side.
The 18-year-old has been an unused substitute in three fixtures for Everton this season but, despite his own club's shortage of options at number nine, boss David Moyes said this month he thinks Graham is "probably someone who would play off the sides" in the Premier League.
After including Graham in the squad for a Uefa Nations League quadruple-header that begins away to Georgia on 25 September, O'Neill feels the player will be a versatile option.
"I think the most important thing is not to try and pigeonhole him into a position," he said.
"He's adaptable and he's adaptable because he's such a good player. I think 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.
"What he has shown us in training, is a real high technical level and the ability to stick the ball in the net."
The four-game window to start the 2026 Nations League is Graham's second time in the senior Northern Ireland panel after he was included in the squad for June friendlies against Guinea and France.
Ready to be substituted on against the latter, the final whistle was blown before he made it on for an international debut. O'Neill felt Graham "deserved" a senior bow for how he trained through the June window.
When it comes to a future position for the forward who stands at 5ft 9in, he added it was important to remember "every player develops physically differently".
"I've watched him a lot, we've watched Braiden since he was young, I've seen him from like 14 or 15," O'Neill said.
"Every player develops physically differently. It's very difficult to play in the Premier League as a striker, look at the profile of what clubs want as their striker.
