Liverpool’s Conor Bradley says it will be “something special” to lead out Northern Ireland for the first time in Saturday’s Nations League contest with Belarus in Hungary.
The game, which will be played behind closed doors and at a neutral venue due to Uefa restrictions on the hosts, will see the 21-year-old become his country’s fourth different skipper in their past five games.
Manager Michael O’Neill has said he will rotate captains through this Nations League campaign following the international retirement of Jonny Evans in August.
“To just play for your country is a massive honour but to be captain is something special,” Bradley told BBC Sport NI.
“Everyone knows how much I love to come away and play for my country and to have the armband on is going to be very special.
“I just want to keep going now, put in a good performance and hopefully we get the result that we want.”
Bradley, the Northern Ireland squad’s only player to feature in the Premier League this season, will lead out the side on the occasion of his 20th cap.
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While O’Neill acknowledged there are other more experienced figures in the panel, he feels the Nations League is a good opportunity to see how his young players cope with the added responsibility.
“I know some of the senior players who have captained the team are in the squad, Paddy McNair, George Saville, I’m aware there are players like that,” he said.
“I just think it’s a good opportunity to rotate it through the younger players
“A lot of these younger players are going to be in the team for a long, long time.
“Eventually from them, a captain will emerge.
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