From George Best to Isaac Price: The Rising Stars of Northern Ireland’s Football Legacy in 2023

As the team prepares for the start of their 2026 World Cup qualifying journey in September, featuring challenging away matches against Luxembourg and Germany, they recently faced Iceland in their final warm-up match.

By the time these crucial fixtures arrive, nearly two years will have passed since their last qualifying match. In this interval, Liverpool’s Conor Bradley has emerged as a central figure for the team, while Price has taken on the significant challenge of becoming a consistent goal-scorer—a role that has long eluded the squad.

While he still has a distance to cover to match David Healy’s impressive tally of 36 goals for the national team from 2000 to 2013, it’s intriguing to note that when Healy began his international career, the record stood at a mere 13 goals.

Kyle Lafferty managed 20 goals during his 89 caps and played a pivotal role in leading the team to qualification for Euro 2016, but finding a successor to fill that gap has been a challenge. Just before Price’s remarkable streak of scoring seven goals in his last seven appearances, defender Paddy McNair was often the leading scorer for manager Michael O’Neill’s team during his second term.

It’s particularly surprising that this scoring void has been addressed by a player who isn’t primarily a striker and has had limited success at the club level. After transferring from Standard Liege to West Brom in January, Price only netted once, which matches his total goals from two seasons in the Belgian league.

Reflecting on his 2023 move abroad from Everton, Price labeled it the “best decision” for his footballing career, though he acknowledged that adapting to life in a new country has posed its challenges. Ironically, this adjustment has made Northern Ireland feel even more like “home” during his international calls.

Support from his manager has also boosted his confidence. O’Neill recently remarked that he is still discovering Price’s ideal position; however, the player has found success playing on the left-wing, supporting both wing-backs and a central striker in international matches.

At the club level, Price often plays in a more traditional midfield role and has even seen time at right-back, though he emphasizes that he consistently works on improving his finishing skills. “I think Michael has recognized from the beginning that I’m a goal-scoring threat,” Price stated, reflecting on his debut for the national team in March 2023 while still in the Everton Under-23 setup.