Northern Ireland national under-19 football team

Northern Ireland Under-19
Nickname(s)	The GAWA, Norn Iron
Association	Irish Football Association
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Gareth McAuley
Home stadium	various
FIFA code	NIR
First colours	Second colours
First international
	Ireland Youth 0–4 Wales; (Solitude, Belfast; 10 January 1948)
European Championship
Appearances	14 (first in 1948)
Best result	Runners-Up: 1963

The Northern Ireland national under-19 football team also known as Northern Ireland under-19s or Northern Ireland U19s represents Northern Ireland in association football at under-19 level. It is controlled by the Irish Football Association and began under the name of Ireland Youth when the Home Nations first held a round robin of friendly matches in 1948. The same year they entered the first International Youth Tournament, now the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. Their best performance was in 1963 when they finished as runner-up. The team evolved into the Northern Ireland under-18 team then the current under-19 team. As well as the UEFA Under-19 Championships the team also enters the annual Milk Cup (currently as an under-20 side). In addition, the team plays regular friendlies, sometimes as an under-20 or under-18 team by agreement of the opposing association.

Competitive record

Champions Runners-up Third Place Fourth Place

European Championships

1948–1954 – FIFA Junior Tournament
1955–1980 – UEFA Junior Tournament
1981–2001 – UEFA European U-18 Championship
2002–present – UEFA European U-19 Championship

UEFA European Under-18/19 Championship Finals record

Qualification record

Year*

Round

Pld

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

Pld

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

1948

First round

3

1

0

2

7

12

−5

No qualification needed

1949

Fourth place

3

0

1

2

3

10

–7

No qualification needed

1950

did not enter

1951

Fourth place

3

1

0

2

3

0

No qualification needed

1952

did not enter

1953

First round

4

1

0

3

11

16

−5

No qualification needed

1954

Group stage

5

0

5

4

22

−18

No qualification needed

1955

Group stage

3

0

1

2

9

−7

No qualification needed

did not enter

Runners-up

5

2

1

9

11

–2

2

1

0

4

3

+1

1964

Group stage

2

1

0

1

2

3

−1

No qualification needed

did not enter

Group stage

3

1

3

4

−1

2

0

5

2

+3

1976

Group stage

3

0

3

10

−7

Walkover against Scotland

1977

Group stage

3

2

0

1

3

1

+2

2

1

0

1

2

1

+1

1978

did not qualify

2

0

2

9

−7

1979

4

1

2

4

6

−2

1980

Group stage

3

0

1

2

4

−2

2

1

0

2

0

+2

1981

did not qualify

2

0

2

0

4

−4

1982

2

1

0

1

2

−1

1983

4

0

1

3

2

9

−7

1984

2

1

0

1

3

−2

1986

6

0

2

4

5

12

−7

1988

6

1

4

8

14

−6

1990

did not enter

1992

did not qualify

6

0

3

4

10

−6

1993

4

0

1

3

8

14

−6

1994

2

0

2

0

1

0

1995

2

0

2

6

0

1996

2

1

0

1

4

3

+1

1997

2

0

2

0

6

−6

1998

2

1

0

1

6

2

+4

1999

5

3

0

2

9

5

+4

2000

5

3

1

12

5

+7

2001

2

0

2

1

4

−3

2002

3

1

2

0

2003

6

2

1

3

10

6

+4

2004

3

0

1

2

5

−3

2005

Group stage

3

0

3

1

4

−3

Qualified as hosts

2006

did not qualify

6

2

1

3

10

9

+1

2007

3

0

3

2

8

−6

2008

3

0

1

2

4

−2

2009

3

1

0

2

4

7

−3

2010

6

1

4

10

9

+1

2011

3

1

3

0

2012

3

1

0

2

5

8

−3

2013

3

1

9

4

+5

2014

3

1

0

2

1

4

−3

2015

3

1

0

2

5

7

−2

2016

6

1

4

9

−5

2017

3

1

0

2

5

−3

2018

3

0

1

2

9

−7

2019

3

1

4

5

−1

2020

Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

Qualified as hosts

2021

Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

2022

did not qualify

3

1

0

2

5

−3

2023

6

1

2

3

7

11

−4

2024

Group stage

3

0

1

2

0

5

-5

Qualified as hosts

2025

did not qualify

3

1

0

2

7

−5

2026

3

2

0

1

2

4

−2

Total

Runners-up

46

9

7

30

53

114

–61

146

39

27

82

177

252

–75

*Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Honours

Milk Cup Elite Section

Winners: 1997, 2008, 2009, 2014

Coaches

Coaches of the Northern Ireland youth/under-18/under-19 side include:

Manager	Career
Billy Cook	^[1]
Norman Kernaghan	^[2]
Joe Kinkead	^[3]
Tommy Casey
Jackie Cummings	1979–??^[4]
Roy Millar	1983–1999
Mal Donaghy	2000–2008
Steve Beaglehole	2008–2011^[5]
Stephen Robinson	2011–2013^[6]
Stephen Craigan	2013–2016^[7]
Stephen Frail	2016–2020^[8]
Gerard Lyttle	2021–2023^[9]
Gareth McAuley	2023–^[10]

Players

Current squad

Players born on or after 1 January 2007 will be eligible until the end of the 2026 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.

The following players were named in the squad for the 2026 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification games against Ukraine, Romania and Kazakhstan on 25, 28 and 31 March 2026 respectively.^[11]

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Club
1GK	Will Murdock	(2007-05-26) 26 May 2007 (age 19)	Manchester United
1GK	Josh Gracey	(2007-12-14) 14 December 2007 (age 18)	Wolves

2DF	Senan Devine	(2007-01-12) 12 January 2007 (age 19)	Coleraine
2DF	Keevan Hawthorne	(2007-03-31) 31 March 2007 (age 19)	Cliftonville
2DF	James Simpson	(2007-04-05) 5 April 2007 (age 19)	Larne
2DF	Luke Matykiewicz	(2007-09-02) 2 September 2007 (age 18)	Leeds United
2DF	Alfie Mitchell	(2008-05-03) 3 May 2008 (age 18)	Bangor
2DF	Callum Leacock	(2008-08-19) 19 August 2008 (age 17)	West Ham United
2DF	Broghan Sewell	(2008-10-13) 13 October 2008 (age 17)	Southampton
2DF	Coist Walker	(2008-10-30) 30 October 2008 (age 17)	Hull City

3MF	Jack Doherty	(2007-01-02) 2 January 2007 (age 19)	Crusaders
3MF	Blaine McClure	(2007-02-05) 5 February 2007 (age 19)	Nottingham Forest
3MF	Sean Corry	(2007-03-06) 6 March 2007 (age 19)	Derby County
3MF	Dylan Stitt	(2007-06-30) 30 June 2007 (age 18)	Luton Town
3MF	Joe Sheridan	(2007-10-29) 29 October 2007 (age 18)	Cliftonville
3MF	Ceadach O'Neill	(2008-04-10) 10 April 2008 (age 18)	Arsenal

4FW	Max Wilson	(2007-01-30) 30 January 2007 (age 19)	Preston North End
4FW	Braiden Graham	(2007-11-07) 7 November 2007 (age 18)	Everton
4FW	Paul McGovern	(2008-01-09) 9 January 2008 (age 18)	Glenavon
4FW	George Feeney	(2008-01-19) 19 January 2008 (age 18)	Tottenham Hotpur

Recent call-ups

The following players have previously been called up to the Northern Ireland under-19 squad and remain eligible.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up

DF	Alfie Friars	(2007-10-28) 28 October 2007 (age 18)	-	-	Derby County	v. Czech Republic, 18 November 2025
DF	Calum Moreland	(2007-02-15) 15 February 2007 (age 19)	-	-	Aston Villa	v. Switzerland, 14 October 2025
DF	Conor Haughey	(2007-05-29) 29 May 2007 (age 19)	-	-	Fleetwood Town	v. Switzerland, 14 October 2025
DF	Noah McDonnell	(2008-06-16) 16 June 2008 (age 17)	-	-	Aberdeen	v. Switzerland, 14 October 2025
DF	Matty Orr	(2007-04-16) 16 April 2007 (age 19)	-	-	Nottingham Forest	v. Albania, 19 November 2024

MF	Kalum Thompson	(2008-09-27) 27 September 2008 (age 17)	-	-	Nottingham Forest	v. Czech Republic, 18 November 2025
MF	Brandon Downey	(2008-12-15) 15 December 2008 (age 17)	-	-	Portsmouth	v. Czech Republic, 18 November 2025
MF	Callum Burnside	(2007-01-16) 16 January 2007 (age 19)	-	-	Rangers	v. Czech Republic, 18 November 2025
MF	Troy Savage	(2008-03-07) 7 March 2008 (age 18)	-	-	Burnley	v. Switzerland, 14 October 2025
MF	Matthew Burns	(2008-09-16) 16 September 2008 (age 17)	-	-	Sunderland	v. Switzerland, 14 October 2025
MF	Cole Brannigan	(2007-05-12) 12 May 2007 (age 19)	-	-	Aston Villa	v. Albania, 19 November 2024
MF	Isaac Hughes	(2007-11-06) 6 November 2007 (age 18)	-	-	Forest Green Rovers	v. Sweden, 8 September 2024

FW	Ryan Corrigan	(2007-04-20) 20 April 2007 (age 19)	-	-	Cliftonville	v. Albania, 19 November 2024
FW	Michael Brammeld	(2007-06-04) 4 June 2007 (age 19)	-	-	MK Dons	v. Sweden, 8 September 2024
^COVID = Player withdrew due to a positive COVID test or from being in close contact with someone with a positive COVID test. ^INJ = Player withdrew from the squad before any games had been played. ^PRE = Preliminary squad / standby. ^SEN = Player withdrew from the squad due to a call up to the senior team. ^SUS = Suspended from national team. ^WTD = Withdrew due to other reasons.

References

↑ "Player Profile: Billy Cook". NIFG. 6 August 2013.
↑ "Best was class from the start". BBC Sport. 15 January 2012.
↑ "Player Profile: Joe Kinkaid". NIFG. 10 May 2010.
↑ "Player Profile: Jackie Cummings". NIFG. 2 June 2013.
↑ "BBC SPORT – Football – Internationals". BBC. 12 June 2008.
↑ "Robinson Named As U19 & U17 Manager". Irish FA. 28 October 2012.
↑ "Northern Ireland U19 & U21 Appointments". Irish FA. 22 April 2013.
↑ "Stephen Frail appointed Northern Ireland Under 19 and Under 17 manager". Irish FA. 19 August 2016.
↑ "Gerard Lyttle appointed as Northern Ireland's U19 and U17 manager". Irish FA. February 2020.
↑ "Gareth McAuley is new Northern Ireland U19s manager". Irish FA. 14 August 2023.
↑ "McAuley names U19s squad for elite round qualifiers". The Irish Football Association. 19 March 2026.

External links

[1] "Player Profile: Billy Cook". NIFG. 6 August 2013.

[2] "Best was class from the start". BBC Sport. 15 January 2012.

[3] "Player Profile: Joe Kinkaid". NIFG. 10 May 2010.

[4] "Player Profile: Jackie Cummings". NIFG. 2 June 2013.

[5] "BBC SPORT – Football – Internationals". BBC. 12 June 2008.

[6] "Robinson Named As U19 & U17 Manager". Irish FA. 28 October 2012.

[7] "Northern Ireland U19 & U21 Appointments". Irish FA. 22 April 2013.

[8] "Stephen Frail appointed Northern Ireland Under 19 and Under 17 manager". Irish FA. 19 August 2016.

[9] "Gerard Lyttle appointed as Northern Ireland's U19 and U17 manager". Irish FA. February 2020.

[10] "Gareth McAuley is new Northern Ireland U19s manager". Irish FA. 14 August 2023.

[11] "McAuley names U19s squad for elite round qualifiers". The Irish Football Association. 19 March 2026.

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Northern Ireland national under-19 football team

Contents

Competitive record

European Championships

Honours

Milk Cup Elite Section

Coaches

Players

Current squad

Recent call-ups

See also

References

External links