Isaac Price believes 2024 has been ‘a top year’ for Northern Ireland, declaring that the squad will be in positive mood entering next year when the World Cup qualifiers take place.
Price scored a well taken goal in Monday’s 2-2 draw in Luxembourg as Michael O’Neill’s side finished top of their Nations League group, earning promotion to League B.
The first half strike from the Standard Liege star gave the visitors the lead before Conor Bradley doubled it early in the second period. Northern Ireland were in control approaching the latter stages but two Luxembourg goals in three minutes denied them a first away win of the campaign.
The result meant that over the course of 2024, with friendlies and competitive fixtures, O’Neill’s young guns have a record of five wins, three draws and two defeats, gaining lots more experience along the way.
“I think we’ve had a top year,” said Price.
“We’ve had a lot of different faces, a lot of different squads and adapting and we’ve got so many good young players.
“Also we have senior players that are leading the way for us and showing us what they’ve been through in the past, and it always helps when you’ve had players that have been to the Euros before and they’ve experienced it, so we can only learn from that and I think we have.”
On December’s World Cup draw, Price added: “I think it’s something to really look forward to. We’ve had a good six games now (in the Nations League) and the draw is in December, so hopefully we can get a good group and then we’ll look forward to that.”
Delivering his verdict on the 2-2 draw in Luxembourg, the 21-year-old said: “We were really good. We probably didn’t have as much of the ball as we thought we would but they’ve got some good players.
“They dominated the ball a little but we were always a threat on the counter-attack and we’ve got legs in behind, that always helps us.
“In the first half we obviously got the goal that set us up well and in the second half we came out fast and got another goal. Then it was about managing the game and unfortunately we conceded the two goals in quick succession, but that’s all learning. I think we’ll learn from that and get better, but we’ve come and done a job to finish top of the group.
“We’ve not conceded many goals in this Nations League and this is sort of a learning curve, of when we do go 2-0 up how to manage a game and not have that thing of quick succession goals. We’ve got a young team and we’ll all learn from that.
“It was a little bit bittersweet. We’ve come here to top the group and we’ve done that, so everyone is really happy. We’ve had a good Nations League, we’ve built as a group so I think overall the feeling is positive, though we’ve got to look back and stop these sorts of things happening.”
On his sixth international goal, a sweetly struck finish, Price commented: “There was no real thinking about it, just try and hit the bottom corner and that’s what happened. So, yeah, I was buzzing with that.”