New Faces for Northern Ireland: Mee and Kenny Get the Nod

In an exciting move for Northern Ireland football, Dermot Mee and Eoin Kenny have been called up to represent the national team for the first time. The pair will join the squad for the upcoming Nations League clashes against Ukraine and Hungary this November. Dermot Mee, a 23-year-old goalkeeper from Manchester United, is a familiar face in the underage international scene. Although he hasn't featured competitively for United this season, his inclusion is set to bolster the competition for the starting spot alongside Pierce Charles. Eoin Kenny, 20, is making his debut call-up as a forward for Portsmouth. The son of former Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny, he joined Portsmouth from Dundalk earlier this year and has already made one appearance in the Championship. His selection comes as Dion Charles, Eoin Toal, and Bailey Peacock-Farrell drop out of the squad. The Northern Ireland team will also be without Sunderland defender Dan Ballard, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained in a recent match against Georgia. Midfielders Ali McCann and Jamie McDonnell are also out due to injuries, while Liverpool's Conor Bradley remains unavailable after not playing since January. Under the leadership of Michael O'Neill, the team currently sits unbeaten at the top of League B2. They have an opportunity to secure promotion to League A for the first time. Northern Ireland will face Ukraine at Windsor Park on November 14 at 19:45 GMT before heading to Hungary for their final group match on November 17. Fans can catch both matches live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds. Remarkably, Northern Ireland is the only team in the entire Nations League yet to concede a goal this season. The squad has had some thrilling moments, including Shea Charles' dramatic late winner in Georgia and a solid goalless draw against Hungary. Notably, they delivered a standout performance with a 3-0 win over Ukraine, capping off a strong set of fixtures with another draw against Georgia. If they can clinch the top spot in their group, they’ll not only earn promotion but also strengthen their chances for a Euro 2028 playoff. The squad is as follows: Goalkeepers: Pierce Charles (QPR - on loan from Manchester City), Conor Hazard (Wycombe Wanderers), Dermot Mee (Manchester United) Defenders: Trai Hume (Sunderland), Tom Atcheson (Blackburn Rovers), Ciaron Brown (Oxford United), Ruairi McConville (Norwich City), Paddy McNair (Hull City), Terry Devlin (Portsmouth), Brodie Spencer (Oxford United), Michael Forbes (Dundee) Midfielders: Shea Charles (Fulham), Ethan Galbraith (Stoke City), Kieran Morrison (Sheffield Wednesday - on loan from Liverpool), Paul Smyth (QPR), Isaac Price (West Brom), Justin Devenny (Stoke City), Jordan Thompson (Preston North End) Forwards: Jamie Donley (Luton Town - on loan from Spurs), Ceadach O'Neill (Arsenal), Eoin Kenny (Portsmouth), Josh Magennis (Stevenage), Callum Marshall (Luton Town), Braiden Graham (Everton).