The in-form Pompey attacker has not played a minute for his country since June 2022
After serving as an unutilized substitute in nine consecutive games, Paddy Lane is eager to experience international action for the first time.
The dynamic Pompey winger has been called up to the Northern Ireland team for its Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Denmark on Monday and Finland on Friday.
With three assists in his previous two league games alone, the gifted right winger has been in outstanding form for the table-topping Blues this season. This is a well-deserved reward for him.
But even though Lane was a fixture in the Northern Ireland squad, his final cap came in June 2022.
He hasn’t been called upon since and has been benched against teams like San Marino, Slovenia, Greece, Kazakhstan, and Kosovo.
While he has never featured under Michael O’Neill, who returned as Northern Ireland boss in December 2022,
Yet the 22-year-old is banking on his eye-catching Pompey form to end that long wait.
Lane told The News: ‘I would like to think I can feature this time, but you never know, the manager has his plans, so I’ll work as hard as I do at Pompey and see what happens.
‘If I keep my club form up, I think it’s hard for him to leave me out of the squads, but, at the same time, I would like to be playing, so I’ll see.
‘It can be disappointing at times to be on the bench and not be used, but it happens in football; you’ve just got to take every game as it comes.
‘I’ve been everywhere—Kazakh, Slovenia, and Denmark—and even if I’m not coming on in games, I’d like to think I am good in the changing room.
‘When I don’t play, it gives me more fuel to come back to Pompey and play even better. Regardless, I always give 100 per cent every game; everyone at Pompey will tell you that.’
While Lane is eyeing a trip to Finland on Friday night (5 p.m.), Gavin Whyte once again misses out.
The former Cardiff winger hasn’t been included in a Northern Ireland squad since June 2023, when he was an unused substitute for Denmark in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
It’s more disappointment for Whyte, following a low-key entrance at Fratton Park since his summer arrival.
“Gav is excellent in training; we see him every day at Pompey, and the boys all have faith in him,” Lane continued.
“We can already see his quality, and it won’t take long for his supporters to catch up.” Every day at the training ground, he is outstanding; once he scores and provides an assist, he will take off.
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