Latest news with #MichaelO'Neill's
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
The Northern Ireland stars set to play a big role as the new English Championship season kicks off
The 2025/26 Championship campaign in England swings into action with Birmingham City at home to Ipswich Town on Friday night. Northern Ireland fans will be keeping a close eye on the League with several of Michael O'Neill's heroes looking to showcase their talent.
Belfast Telegraph
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Northern Ireland striker set to be subject of League One bidding war as multiple sides weigh up offers
The Belfast Telegraph revealed earlier this week that the former Cliftonville hero was open to a move away from the Scottish Championship side in order to keep his World Cup dreams at international level alive. After scoring 18 times for Ross County last season, Hale has already netted four goals this term for the Staggies and played 90 minutes on Saturday in the 2-2 draw at Airdrie as the Highlands club began their campaign in Scotland's second tier following their relegation from the top flight in May. It is understood the striker, having made a positive impact on his Northern Ireland debut in June, is keen to play at a higher level to cement his place in Michael O'Neill's squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, which kick off with an away double header versus Luxembourg and Germany in September. League One sides Luton and Wycombe Wanderers have been tracking Hale, while Reading have also been keeping an eye on the 26-year-old and could now be ready to make their move. In turn, that may lead to others following suit, with Ross County looking for a healthy return on a player who has been a big hit for them and has two years left on his contract. Reading, who on Saturday lost their opening League One fixture of the season 2-0 at Lincoln, have money to spend after midfielder Harvey Knibbs joined Charlton Athletic for an undisclosed fee. Fellow Hale admirers Wycombe Wanderers were also defeated in their first game 2-1 at Bradford. Scottish Premiership clubs are monitoring the situation but it seems the English sides have moved ahead in the race. Belfast native Hale played at youth and Under-21 level for the Republic of Ireland but last year opted to go through a protracted FIFA process to complete an international transfer to Northern Ireland. Having waited patiently for his first appearance for O'Neill's side, he started in the 1-0 friendly win over Iceland at Windsor Park and looked dangerous in attack. After enjoying his first taste of senior international football, Hale is hungry for more and is determined to give himself the best chance possible of playing in the World Cup games.
Belfast Telegraph
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Northern Ireland star and former Larne and Portadown hero relishing ‘new start' after linking up with ambitious EFL outfit
The ambitious EFL League Two club have recruited the former Larne and Portadown frontman from Dutch second-tier side ADO Den Haag. Bonis (25) impressed after making the switch to the Netherlands from Larne in the summer of 2024, bagging 11 League goals to help fire Den Haag into the Promotion Play-Offs. He missed out on the chance to play in the Eredivisie in the 2025/26 season after the Storks lost out over two legs to eventual Play-Off winners Telstar, but it was still a highly successful campaign for the former Seagoe man as he also made his senior Northern Ireland debut in a goalless draw against Belarus back in October. Bonis remained in Michael O'Neill's fold and played in both legs of a friendly double-header against Switzerland and Sweden in March as well as the home victory over Iceland in June. Now he will aim to help the Spireites – who reached the League Two Play-Offs in 2024/25, their first season back in the EFL after gaining promotion from the National League – push on and make a fresh bid to reach the third-tier. Bonis is no stranger to silverware having previously won back-to-back Irish League crowns with Larne in 2023 and 2024 prior to his Den Haag switch as well as the Championship title in 2020 with Portadown, from whom he was a reported £100,000 purchase for the Invermen back in January 2022. After completing his move to Chesterfield, Bonis commented: 'It's great to be a part of the club. I think a new start in England will be good for me. 'I can't wait to play in front of the fans. I'm excited to get going.'
Belfast Telegraph
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Northern Ireland star and former Larne and Portadown hero eager for ‘new start' after linking up with ambitious EFL outfit
The ambitious EFL League Two club have recruited the former Larne and Portadown frontman from Dutch second-tier side ADO Den Haag. Bonis (25) impressed after making the switch to the Netherlands from Larne in the summer of 2024, bagging 11 League goals to help fire Den Haag into the Promotion Play-Offs. He missed out on the chance to play in the Eredivisie in the 2025/26 season after the Storks lost out over two legs to eventual Play-Off winners Telstar, but it was still a highly successful campaign for the former Seagoe man as he also made his senior Northern Ireland debut in a goalless draw against Belarus back in October. Bonis remained in Michael O'Neill's fold and played in both legs of a friendly double-header against Switzerland and Sweden in March as well as the home victory over Iceland in June. Now he will aim to help the Spireites – who reached the League Two Play-Offs in 2024/25, their first season back in the EFL after gaining promotion from the National League – push on and make a fresh bid to reach the third-tier. Bonis is no stranger to silverware having previously won back-to-back Irish League crowns with Larne in 2023 and 2024 prior to his Den Haag switch as well as the Championship title in 2020 with Portadown, from whom he was a reported £100,000 purchase for the Invermen back in January 2022. After completing his move to Chesterfield, Bonis commented: 'It's great to be a part of the club. I think a new start in England will be good for me. 'I can't wait to play in front of the fans. I'm excited to get going.'
Belfast Telegraph
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Northern Ireland captain Trai Hume reveals the Premier League fixture he can't wait to play in
In August, the former Linfield ace will feature in the top flight of English football for the first time in his career, and then in September he will be an important figure when Michael O'Neill's side travel to Luxembourg and Germany for their opening group games. As always, the 23-year-old will be giving everything for club and country. 'I'm really excited by it all,' said the defender. 'I'm probably not looking forward to pre-season as much because it's going to be that wee bit tougher but that's part and parcel of it. 'I'll have to work harder than I have before because I'm stepping up a level and playing in the best league in the world. 'It will be tough but I'm excited. It is a challenge I know me and my team-mates at Sunderland are looking forward to and hopefully we can get going.' As for the match in the Premier League he is savouring most, Hume replies: 'I'd be lying if I didn't say the derby (against Newcastle). For me, I was a Chelsea fan (growing up) so I'm looking forward to playing them twice, but obviously the main game is the derby.' Sunderland are going to have to defend exceptionally well in many games in the upcoming campaign just as Northern Ireland did on Tuesday to earn a clean sheet and a 1-0 friendly victory over Iceland at Windsor Park, playing with 10 men from the 57 minute mark when Brodie Spencer was sent off. It was a result that kept the team's impressive record of late in Belfast intact and was a boost ahead of the World Cup group matches versus Luxembourg and Germany. 'I thought in the end it was a good result and we kept our home record, but in the first half hour we were a bit slow and a bit loose on the ball,' said Hume. 'At the end of the first half we were good pressing them and on top of them, then the red card changed the game in the second half and we had to sit off and defend and I thought we did that excellently. 'It's (the red card) one of those things you can't control but it's good to have that experience as a team. We stuck together and thankfully got the win.' Expanding on why digging out a positive result on Tuesday with a numerical disadvantage could be beneficial long term, Hume stated: 'It's tough no matter what level playing with 10 men. You have to run that wee bit extra and put in extra hard work. 'As a young group it is good to have that experience because you never know if it will happen when it matters in competitive games. We showed great maturity and great togetherness. 'Down to 10 men you are more compact and more disciplined. You don't want to break your shape because that's when they have more chances because they have more players than us. 'We created a couple of chances when we were down to 10 men and probably could have scored a couple, but they had their fair share of chances too, so it's good to be defensively resilient.' With Northern Ireland holding on to their slender lead, courtesy of Isaac Price's superb first half strike, there were some flashpoints with the Iceland players. Captain Hume didn't shy away from getting involved after one of his crunching tackles irked the opposition and then he made his feelings known to the visitors following a cynical foul on Conor Bradley. 'I think it is always going to be that way. We are a group that is together,' said the Sunderland ace. 'We all love coming away together and playing together. When you have those flashpoints where it is a bad tackle we are going to stick by each other no matter what.' O'Neill's youthful squad will need that attitude when they face Luxembourg and Germany to kick off the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. 'They are the games that matter,' says Hume. 'We are starting the campaign off with two away games so it is going to be tough. We want to have a good start and hopefully get a win in the first game.'
