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Northern Ireland’s goalless Nations League draw against Belarus on Saturday may not have left a lasting impression on most, but for 19-year-old debutant Pierce Charles, it was a moment he will treasure for a lifetime.
With regular goalkeepers Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Conor Hazard sidelined through injury, Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill gave Charles his first senior cap, rewarding the Sheffield Wednesday shot-stopper for his impressive performances with the under-21s.
The match, played behind closed doors at the ZTE-Arena in Hungary due to UEFA restrictions on Belarus, saw Charles keep a clean sheet in a relatively quiet night between the posts. The occasion was made even more special as he shared the pitch with his older brother, Shea, who started in midfield.
“To play alongside Shea, it’s the dream,” Charles told BBC Sport NI. “When we were playing in the garden as kids, we’d act it out, and now it’s become real. I can’t really believe it.”
Charles had little to do during the match, with most of the action taking place at the other end of the pitch as Northern Ireland registered 15 shots, seven of which were on target in the first half. Despite the missed chances, Charles took pride in the clean sheet. “To keep a clean sheet means you can’t lose, and that’s what we did,” he said.
Looking ahead to Northern Ireland’s next Nations League fixture on Tuesday against Bulgaria at Windsor Park, Charles is eager to experience a match in front of a home crowd. “[The debut] just makes me want to do it more and more,” he said. “Playing away with no fans, with the fans there it just would have been that extra boost.”
Lee Bonis Marks Debut in Empty Stadium
Charles wasn’t the only debutant for Northern Ireland, as Ado Den Haag striker Lee Bonis earned his first cap, coming on with 15 minutes remaining. The former Larne and Portadown forward, who scored a hat-trick for his Dutch club in his last outing, described the odd atmosphere in the empty stadium.
“It is a bit weird going out on the pitch with no noise, so it’s a bit disappointing,” Bonis said. “It’s a dream come true to play for your country.”
After being called up for Euro 2024 qualifiers last year but not featuring, Bonis is hoping for more minutes in Tuesday’s home game. “I’ll take any minutes I can get at this stage, but it would be nice to get some back home in front of fans.”
Both Charles and Bonis will be hoping to make an impact in front of a Windsor Park crowd as Northern Ireland looks to improve on their attacking output and secure a win in their next Nations League contest.
