'I’ll back him all the way' - Sheffield Wednesday's Pierce Charles hailed after Northern Ireland heartbreak
Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles has been hailed by his brother Shea following heartbreak on international duty with Northern Ireland.
The brothers, who were teammates at Wednesday last season, both completed 90 minutes on Thursday (March 26) as Northern Ireland faced Italy.
Michael O’Neill’s men were beaten 2-0 by the Azzurri, ending their hopes of qualification for this summer’s World Cup.
Playing a role in a shock win would have been a significant boost for Pierce amid a turbulent season at club level.
The 20-year-old has been a shining light in a dismal campaign for Wednesday, although has missed chunks of the season due to injury.
Shea Charles hails brother Pierce
His older brother Shea, a 22-year-old midfielder for Southampton, said: “For Pierce to come here after a real tough season with injury is credit to him. I’ll back him all the way and I thought he played really well.”
Pierce has been linked with Premier League clubs and it remains to be seen whether he follows Wednesday into League One following their relegation.
The lure of a high-profile switch could prove strong, but so could the prospect of regular minutes in S6.
He will be hoping to retain his spot as Northern Ireland’s main man between the sticks ahead of the beginning of their Nations League campaign in September.
‘A long way to go together’
Shea said: “We’ve got a long way to go together [as a squad]. An average age of 22 and a half is pretty mindblowing to be honest.
“All the boys are doing really well at their clubs so there’s a lot of potential. There’s still a few more steps to go. We were on the edge of the World Cup, we’re a very young team, there’s a long way to go.”
The pair could feature again for Northern Ireland when they face Wales in a friendly on Tuesday (March 31).