Inside Northern Ireland's football development pipeline

BBC Sport NI spent a day at the Irish Football Association's JD Academy Residential programme at Campbell College, getting an inside look at how Northern Ireland develops young football talent.

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill was present at the academy, where he met with young players who are working toward earning full-time professional contracts. The visit offered a glimpse into the pathway the IFA has built to help nurture the country's next generation of footballers.

Building for the future

Academies such as the JD Academy Residential form a key part of Northern Ireland's long-term strategy to develop homegrown talent capable of representing the national team at senior level.

For the young players involved, the programme represents an opportunity to train in a structured, high-performance environment while being observed by senior figures within the national setup, including the manager himself.