We can stop Son shining
® MICHAEL O’NEILL says his Northern Ireland defenders should relish the chance to keep in-form Tottenham star Heung-min Son quiet.
Son pulls on a South Korea shirt for today’s friendly in Belfast on the back of seven goals in his last five Spurs games.
And O’Neill feels Son will pose a similar threat to the ones the likes of Edinson Cavani and Alexis Sanchez have previously given his players.
The Northern Ireland boss said: “Son’s a top Premier League player.
“These are the players you need to test yourself against.
Cope
“Four years ago we went with a very inexperienced squad to South America and we were playing against the likes of Edinson Cavani, Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal.
“If you’re going to play at international level, you have to bring your game up and try to compete.”
O’Neill has called for reinforcements to cope with a string of absentees, with QPR rookie striker Paul Smyth and Everton teenager Shayne Lavery promoted from the Under-21s.
Uncapped Norwich defender Jamal Lewis along with midfielders George Saville and Jordan Jones are all set to start.
Motherwell goalkeeper Trevor Carson should also win his first cap in Northern Ireland’s first match since losing to Switzerland in November’s World Cup play-off.