Tom Flanagan has struggled in League One since joining Sunderland but he was still handed his second international cap for the Northern Ireland.
Michael O’Neill was full of praise for Tom Flanagan after the Sunderland defender impressed for the Northern Ireland in their narrow friendly win against Luxembourg on Thursday night, in quotes reported by the Evening Express.
It was hardly a classic at Windsor Park with the only goal of a tepid affair coming from the head of travelling centre-back Kevin Malget, who thumped the ball into his own net in the first-half.
But there was still plenty of reasons to be positive with O’Neill fielding an experimental side while handing opportunities to Leeds youngster Alfie McCalmont and Manchester United U23 star Ethan Galbraith.
Flanagan, meanwhile, earned his second cap and his first in two years at the age of 27, starting alongside Cardiff City’s Ciaran Brown.
The much-maligned Sunderland stopper, who has his fair share of detractors on Wearside, stepped up and produced a fine performance as Northern Ireland’s inexperienced defence kept a clean sheet in front of their own supporters.
No wonder O’Neill was pleased.
“I wasn’t prepared to risk Jonny (Evans) or Craig (Cathcart) in this game so (21-year-old Brown) came in at short notice, as did Tom Flanagan,” O’Neill said. “With Tom it’s his second cap and he had to be the leader in that partnership and he did it very well.”
Evans and Cathcart aren’t getting any younger and Flanagan will be hoping that a stand-out display against Luxembourg will allow him to keep his place in O’Neill’s starting XI for the remaining Euro 2020 qualifiers.
Northern Ireland have won four games out of four so far though they are yet to play group heavyweights Germany or Holland.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
