Ruairi McConville realises teenage dreams but he wants more after special Northern Ireland debut

Ruairi McConville was beaming as he made his way out of Windsor Park on Friday night following the 2-0 win over Belarus.

And who could blame him after he was given his first minutes at senior international level. It may only have been 10 minutes but he admitted it will live with him for the rest of his career.

It certainly whetted the Brighton teenager's appetite and he said afterwards that he is determined to keep working hard to stay in Michael O'Neill's plans.

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'It's amazing, no one can really wipe the smile off my face," said McConville. "It’s a feeling that will stick with me the rest of my career but hopefully it’s the first of many. I'm going to work hard to get back in the squad and that's all I can do really.

"I heard the conversation they were having, saying they need a bit of height so as soon as I heard that I was getting excited. I was sitting on my hands, and I was ready when they gave me a nod. I didn’t know what to do, I was so excited and then when I stood up I got in the zone. I could just hear the fans all around me, I was so excited to get on the pitch.

"I couldn't believe how loud it was. I was trying to talk on the pitch and I couldn't hear myself. It was madness, but it was an experience that will stick with me for the rest of my life. There was still a job to be done when I came on and I tried to do that. We were focused on trying to get the clean sheet and to get the result and thankfully we got that."

The young players in Michael O'Neill's squad have been something of an inspiration for McConville already with the way they have progressed. The former Linfield defender said he has learned so much from the squad this week and he is determined to build on it.

"You see how well they're progressing and see how important it is to have that first-team exposure," said the 19-year-old. "It was good for me to come in and I knew most of them and that helped me settle in so well. They're learning different sides to the game playing with their clubs and I hope to do that as well.

"You see how well they're doing. They got this chance like me and they're doing so well to keep their place in the squad and that's what I'm going to try and do. They're so young but so experienced already. When I got the email and the coaches at Brighton told me I was called into the squad, even then you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, I was just buzzing and just couldn't wait to get in and around the group. I've learned so much here and hopefully there's many more opportunities to come."

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McConville may get another opportunity come Monday in Luxembourg as Ciaron Brown's booking against Belarus means he is the latest central defender to be ruled out. His focus is only on training hard ahead of the final Nations League group game and leaving the decision with the manager.

"There's opportunities all the time," he said. "We've got to get over there and train, train well and who knows what Michael will do. I'll train well and we're all focusing on the game on Monday."

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