Ex-Everton midfielder Isaac Price explains one thing Northern Ireland want against Bulgaria
Northern Ireland were poor as they lost 1-0 in Bulgaria last month and Isaac Price has explained their motivation for Tuesday night's return at Windsor Park
by David Anderson · The MirrorNorthern Ireland’s Isaac Price claims Michael O’Neill’s side want revenge against Bulgaria tomorrow night.
Price says the Irish feel they badly let themselves down when they flopped 1-0 away to Bulgaria last month. Northern Ireland could go top of Nations League Group C3 if they beat Bulgaria and the Standard Liege midfielder insists they have a point to prove at Windsor Park.
“Yeah, I think there’s a little bit of revenge in the squad,” he said. “We feel like not hard done by, but we were disappointed after the game not to get anything from it.
“I think we’re really looking forward to that one to go out and put on a good performance. The pitch wasn’t great over there, but there’s no real excuse for it. We just made a mistake and we couldn’t really take our chances in the final third. We want to come back to Belfast and beat them there.”
Yorkshire-born Price, 21, who joined Liege in June 2023 for £400,000 after 12 years at Everton where he made three senior appearances, says the Irish are also motivated by their failure to beat Belarus, despite dominating the first half in the 0-0 draw. Jamie Reid was the worst culprit in the behind-closed-doors game in Zalaegerszeg in Hungary, missing a hat-trick of chances, but Paddy McNair and Callum Marshall were also wasteful, while Eoin Toal saw a header come off the far post.
Ronan Hale’s international clearance can’t come quick enough and although the Ross County hotshot was born in Belfast, he played five times for the Republic of Ireland’s Under-21s before switching his allegiance. Price said: “That was our aim, to get three points against Belarus and go top of the group.
“It would have put us in a good place for Tuesday night, but we couldn’t do it and hopefully we can beat a good Bulgaria side, and maybe that will leave us top.”
O’Neill has tipped Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who is the younger brother of Irish midfielder Shea, to have a long international career and he was faultless on his debut, while striker Lee Bonis also came on for his first appearance.
“I thought Pierce was excellent and he gave composure and belief to our back three,” he said. “He has huge potential. We saw that in Shea and now we’re seeing that in Pierce. Lee’s had a good week with us and although he’s raw at international level, he’s a player who can help us.”
Liverpool’s Conor Bradley had mixed emotions on captaining his country for the first time at just 21. “I’m really proud to be captain and it’s something you dream about when you’re growing up,” he said. “I’m just disappointed we didn’t get the three points and in the first half, we could have been three or 4-0 up.”
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