Warnock delighted at NI call-up for Brown

NEIL Warnock has revealed his delight after Cardiff City youngster Ciaron Brown earned his first cap for Northern Ireland on Thursday.

The defender, 21, was called up from the under-21s to start at centre back for the 1-0 friendly win against Luxembourg at Windsor Park.

Brown, who can play both centrally and on the left, has impressed the Bluebirds coaching staff over the last six months and as such has been included in the first-team fray this season.

The young Bluebird was originally called up to Ian Baraclough’s under-21s this week for the European Championship qualifiers against Malta and Finland.

However, Northern Ireland coach Michael O’Neill asked Brown, as well as Leeds United’s Alfie McCalmont and Hearts teenager Bobby Burns, to step up and train with the senior ahead of the clash with Luxembourg.

It is understood Brown grabbed the coaching staff’s attention during the training sessions and was subsequently handed a spot in the starting line-up for the friendly at Windsor Park.

Bluebirds boss Warnock has overseen his development in the Welsh capital this year and was over the moon to hear one of his prodigies had earned his first international cap.

“Going away on loan to Livingston in the Scottish Premier League helped him,” Warnock told the Echo.

“I decided to leave Greg Cunningham go (on loan to Blackburn) because I thought Ciaron could give us some back up until Christmas at least.

“He’s developed really well over the last few weeks and I’m delighted for him.”

City signed Brown for around £10,000 from Wealdstone in January 2018, but he was put out on loan to Livingston earlier this year to gain some much-needed first-team experience.

Though a centre-back by trade, all five of his outings for the Scottish club came at left-back. This season he has featured on the bench for the Championship win over Huddersfield, as well as providing travelling cover to the club’s away games, and played all 90 minutes in the 3-0 defeat by Luton Town in the Carabao Cup.

Brown lined up alongside fellow Bluebird Gavin Whyte, who earned his sixth international cap.