George Best, Norman Whiteside... Isaac Price?

When Isaac Price spoke to the media before Northern Ireland's friendly with Iceland at Windsor Park, it was put to him that his next goal for Michael O'Neill's side would draw him level with some iconic figures who have worn the green jersey. George Best, Norman Whiteside, Gareth McAuley and Billy Bingham were the only four men to score exactly nine times for Northern Ireland. "The names are legends. I don't think I'm anywhere near that," replied the 21-year-old on Monday afternoon. "But if I got to score another goal and join them, it would be an incredibly proud moment for me and my family."In the end, the wait was a short one as, with 36 minutes gone in Tuesday night's 1-0 win, the West Bromwich Albion man drifted off the left before curling in a right-footed effort from outside the box.With the final goal of his October hat-trick against Bulgaria and March's free-kick against Switzerland having come from a similar area of the Windsor Park pitch, it was the sort of finish that feels like it is quickly becoming Price's trademark. If this one seemed more special given the company the Everton youth product now keeps, what's most impressive is the speed with which he has reached such rarefied air in the country's record books. At 21 years and 257 days old, no player has ever hit their ninth goal for Northern Ireland at a younger age.
The game against Iceland was the side's last before their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign begins in September with an away double-header against Luxembourg and Germany.By the time those fixtures roll around, it will be almost two years since their last qualifier. If Liverpool's Conor Bradley has emerged as the side's talisman in that period, then Price has filled a role which has posed a problem for even longer - that of a regular goalscorer. He remains some way off David Healy's 36 scored for the side between 2000 and 2013, but when the former Leeds United and Preston North End striker came on the scene the record stood at just 13. While Kyle Lafferty later hit 20 in 89 caps, with his goals proving crucial in guiding the side to Euro 2016 qualification, the search for a successor has been difficult. Indeed, before Price's run of seven goals in his past seven caps, it had not been uncommon for defender Paddy McNair to be the most prolific member of Michael O'Neill's starting side during the manager's second stint in charge. That such a void has been filled by a player who is not striker at all, and rarely scores at club level, feels all the more noteworthy. He scored once for West Brom after his January move from Standard Liege, the same tally he managed in two seasons spent in Belgium's top flight. While calling his move abroad from Everton in 2023 the "best decision" he could have made for his football, Price noted it had been "challenging to settle" in a new country, something that conversely made Northern Ireland feel all the more "like home" when the England-born player came away on international duty.So, too, did the confidence of his manager. O'Neill acknowledged only this week that he likely still did not know Price's best position, but internationally he has settled into playing off the left of midfield, inside a wing-back and behind a central striker. At club level, he often holds a more orthodox midfield position and has even turned out at right-back, although he noted he still works on his finishing "every day". "I think Michael said that from day one since coming here, he' s seen me as a player that's a goal threat," said Price, who made his international debut in March 2023 while still playing for Everton Under-23s.
He added: "I've probably not had a manager that's told me that before. I feel like I've always been a number eight or a little bit deeper, trying to get on the ball more."But when I come here, he's seen something in me that I probably didn't see in myself."Just what was it that O'Neill saw?"Two things - intelligence and athleticism. They are the two biggest things," said the manager, who like Price made his international debut for NI as a teenager."There is a technical level there but he's an intelligent boy. He understands the game and if you give him an instruction he is able to do it."He is a very easy player to coach and I think that's the biggest attribute he has. If you are looking at the profile of a modern day footballer, we'd maybe like to see him a few kilograms heavier, but given his size and his ability to run, he has all the attributes you want in a young player."Of course, there is no greater attribute than a knack for a timely goal with Price's ability to find the net, even on nights like Tuesday when he felt below his best, key to NI's hopes of making it to the World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico next summer."You need that in teams if you want to have a chance of qualifying," said defender Trai Hume who has lined out alongside Price in 19 of his 22 caps."You just look at Kyle Lafferty in 2016, he was scoring goals non-stop."He will keep on scoring, I've no doubt about that."
O'Neill still maintains Price's biggest contribution is off the ball. While it is his goals that catch the eye, a game in which he did not score, the 2-1 defeat against Denmark on Saturday, offered a good example.Lazio's Gustav Isaksen was quickly shown to be the host's most direct threat in Copenhagen with Price recognising that his left wing-back, Justin Devenny, was playing in an unfamiliar position and frequently tracked back deeper to help out. "The ball falls to Isaac and you know there's a bit of magic in him, you know it's going to happen," said Crystal Palace's Devenny."We see his quality on the ball, but it maybe goes under the radar, his work off the ball. He doesn't stop running for 90 minutes. "That's massive for this team when we need to dig in. Isaac maybe doesn't get the credit for that because he gets all the credit for his ability on the ball."Having spoken about his desire to achieve team success, Price wants to keep climbing Northern Ireland's goalscoring charts too.Already only 14 men have ever netted more for the team. Next in his sights are another fine trio of players - Jimmy McIlroy, Peter McParland and Johnny Crossan - who all scored 10 times for the side."I want more. I'm not satisfied with what I've got. I want to go and get more," he said. "The performances need to get better too."It's not just about the goals, they're a key part of my game, but I've got to get a lot better in games, keeping possession of the ball, and helping the team that way."

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