Derry City goalkeeper Nathan Gartside has been included in the Northern Ireland squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Italy and Bulgaria.
It's the first time the 23-year-old has been called up to the senior squad and manager Ian Baraclough has also included Accrington Stanley striker Dion Charles for the first time.
💬 Nathan Gartside @garty001 from @derrycityfc will join our senior goalkeepers ahead of the upcoming triple-header 👇🏻 #GAWA pic.twitter.com/mRvvHYm9yJ
— Northern Ireland (@NorthernIreland) March 18, 2021
Gartside's call-up means that Derry City's first scheduled home game of the season in the SSE Airtricity League against Shamrock Rovers on March 28th is likely to be postponed until after the international break.
Jonny Evans and Paddy McNair are both named in the squad despite coming off in recent club games.
Niall McGinn was set to be left out due to a lack of game time with Aberdeen but the 33-year-old received a call-up after the withdrawal of Sunderland winger Jordan Jones.
Northern Ireland start their first qualifying campaign under Baraclough with a trip to Parma to face Italy on March 25th.
They are due to face the USA in a friendly at Windsor Park three days later before Bulgaria come to Belfast for a qualifier on March 31st.
Northern Ireland squad:
Goalkeepers: Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Burnley), Conor Hazard (Celtic), Nathan Gartside (Derry City).
Defenders: Jonny Evans (Leicester City), Craig Cathcart (Watford), Stuart Dallas (Leeds United), Shane Ferguson (Millwall), Conor McLaughlin (Sunderland), Jamal Lewis (Newcastle United), Daniel Ballard (Blackpool - on loan from Arsenal), Ciaron Brown (Cardiff City).
Midfielders: Steven Davis (Rangers), Corry Evans (Blackburn Rovers), Paddy McNair (Middlesbrough), George Saville (Middlesbrough), Michael Smith (Heart of Midlothian), Matthew Kennedy (Aberdeen), Jordan Thompson (Stoke City), Niall McGinn (Aberdeen), Alistair McCann (St Johnstone).
Strikers: Kyle Lafferty (Kilmarnock), Josh Magennis (Hull City), Conor Washington (Charlton Athletic), Liam Boyce (Heart of Midlothian), Gavin Whyte (Hull City - on loan from Cardiff City), Dion Charles (Accrington Stanley).
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