George Best, Norman Whiteside...isaac Price?

When Isaac Price said to nan media earlier Northern Ireland's friends pinch Iceland astatine Windsor Park, it was put to him that his adjacent extremity for Michael O'Neill's broadside would tie him level pinch immoderate iconic figures who person worn nan greenish jersey.

George Best, Norman Whiteside, Gareth McAuley and Billy Bingham were nan only 4 men to people precisely 9 times for Northern Ireland.

"The names are legends. I don't deliberation I'm anyplace adjacent that," replied nan 21-year-old connected Monday afternoon.

"But if I sewage to people different extremity and subordinate them, it would beryllium an incredibly proud infinitesimal for maine and my family."

In nan end, nan hold was a short 1 as, pinch 36 minutes gone successful Tuesday night's 1-0 win, nan West Bromwich Albion man drifted disconnected nan near earlier curling successful a right-footed effort from extracurricular nan box.

With nan last extremity of his October hat-trick against Bulgaria and March's free-kick against Switzerland having travel from a akin area of nan Windsor Park pitch, it was nan benignant of decorativeness that feels for illustration it is quickly becoming Price's trademark.

If this 1 seemed much typical fixed nan institution nan Everton younker merchandise now keeps, what's astir awesome is nan velocity pinch which he has reached specified rarefied aerial successful nan country's grounds books.

At 21 years and 257 days old, nary subordinate has ever deed their ninth extremity for Northern Ireland astatine a younger age.

The crippled against Iceland was nan side's past earlier their 2026 World Cup qualifying run originates successful September pinch an distant double-header against Luxembourg and Germany.

By nan clip those fixtures rotation around, it will beryllium almost 2 years since their past qualifier. If Liverpool's Conor Bradley has emerged arsenic nan side's talisman successful that period, past Price has filled a domiciled which has posed a problem for moreover longer - that of a regular goalscorer.

He remains immoderate measurement disconnected David Healy's 36 scored for nan broadside betwixt 2000 and 2013, but erstwhile nan erstwhile Leeds United and Preston North End striker came connected nan segment nan grounds stood astatine conscionable 13.

While Kyle Lafferty later deed 20 successful 89 caps, pinch his goals proving important successful guiding nan broadside to Euro 2016 qualification, nan hunt for a successor has been difficult.

Indeed, earlier Price's tally of 7 goals successful his past 7 caps, it had not been uncommon for defender Paddy McNair to beryllium nan astir prolific personnel of Michael O'Neill's starting broadside during nan manager's 2nd stint successful charge.

That specified a void has been filled by a subordinate who is not striker astatine all, and seldom scores astatine nine level, feels each nan much noteworthy.

He scored erstwhile for West Brom aft his January move from Standard Liege, nan aforesaid tally he managed successful 2 seasons spent successful Belgium's apical flight.

While calling his move overseas from Everton successful 2023 nan "best decision" he could person made for his football, Price noted it had been "challenging to settle" successful a caller country, thing that conversely made Northern Ireland consciousness each nan much "like home" erstwhile nan England-born subordinate came distant connected world duty.

So, too, did nan assurance of his manager.

O'Neill acknowledged only this week that he apt still did not cognize Price's champion position, but internationally he has settled into playing disconnected nan near of midfield, wrong a wing-back and down a cardinal striker.

At nine level, he often holds a much orthodox midfield position and has moreover turned retired astatine right-back, though he noted he still useful connected his finishing "every day".

"I deliberation Michael said that from time 1 since coming here, he' s seen maine arsenic a subordinate that's a extremity threat," said Price, who made his world debut successful March 2023 while still playing for Everton Under-23s.

He added: "I've astir apt not had a head that's told maine that before. I consciousness for illustration I've ever been a number 8 aliases a small spot deeper, trying to get connected nan shot more.

"But erstwhile I travel here, he's seen thing successful maine that I astir apt didn't spot successful myself."

Just what was it that O'Neill saw?

"Two things - intelligence and athleticism. They are nan 2 biggest things," said nan manager, who for illustration Price made his world debut for NI arsenic a teenager.

"There is simply a method level location but he's an intelligent boy. He understands nan crippled and if you springiness him an instruction he is capable to do it.

"He is simply a very easy subordinate to coach and I deliberation that's nan biggest property he has. If you are looking astatine nan floor plan of a modern time footballer, we'd possibly for illustration to spot him a fewer kilograms heavier, but fixed his size and his expertise to run, he has each nan attributes you want successful a young player."

Of course, location is nary greater property than a knack for a timely extremity pinch Price's expertise to find nan net, moreover connected nights for illustration Tuesday erstwhile he felt beneath his best, cardinal to NI's hopes of making it to nan World Cup successful nan US, Canada and Mexico adjacent summer.

"You request that successful teams if you want to person a chance of qualifying," said defender Trai Hume who has lined retired alongside Price successful 19 of his 22 caps.

"You conscionable look astatine Kyle Lafferty successful 2016, he was scoring goals non-stop.

"He will support connected scoring, I've nary uncertainty astir that."

O'Neill still maintains Price's biggest publication is disconnected nan ball. While it is his goals that drawback nan eye, a crippled successful which he did not score, the 2-1 conclusion against Denmark connected Saturday, offered a bully example.

Lazio's Gustav Isaksen was quickly shown to beryllium nan host's astir nonstop threat successful Copenhagen pinch Price recognising that his near wing-back, Justin Devenny, was playing successful an unfamiliar position and often tracked backmost deeper to thief out.

"The shot falls to Isaac and you cognize there's a spot of magic successful him, you cognize it's going to happen," said Crystal Palace's Devenny.

"We spot his value connected nan ball, but it possibly goes nether nan radar, his activity disconnected nan ball. He doesn't extremity moving for 90 minutes.

"That's monolithic for this squad erstwhile we request to excavation in. Isaac possibly doesn't get nan in installments for that because he gets each the credit for his ability on nan ball."

Having spoken about his desire to execute squad success, Price wants to support climbing Northern Ireland's goalscoring charts too.

Already only 14 men person ever netted much for nan team. Next successful his sights are different good trio of players - Jimmy McIlroy, Peter McParland and Johnny Crossan - who each scored 10 times for nan side.

"I want more. I'm not satisfied pinch what I've got. I want to spell and get more," he said.

"The performances request to get amended too.

"It's not conscionable astir nan goals, they're a cardinal portion of my game, but I've sewage to get a batch amended successful games, keeping possession of nan ball, and helping nan squad that way."