Celtic youngster Conor Hazard was today called up by Northern Ireland has his highly-successful March continues.
NI boss Ian Baraclough recalled Hazard into the squad back in November for games against Slovakia, Norway, and Romania respectively. But in a big boost for him, the Celtic shot-stopper has been called up for a second consecutive squad.
He’ll be competing with Burnley’s Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Derry City’s Nathan Gartside. Hazard will expect to be the number two behind Premier League stopper Peacock-Farrell, but it’s a big promotion from the under-21 call-ups he’s had in the past.
Hazard has still only made one appearance for the senior side back in 2018. However, current NI boss Baraclough worked with him when he was under-21 boss and made him the team’s captain last year.
The call-up for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Italy and Bulgaria follow a new two-year Celtic deal earlier this month. It’s fair to say he’s having some March.
Conor Hazard has a clear route to the Northern Ireland number one jersey
You almost get the feeling that Baraclough wants Hazard to be his number one. To effectively be the back-up shot-stopper with only six games under his belt this season, Hazard finds himself in an interesting position.
It will be even more intriguing to see whether his national team progression leads to him urgently looking for more first-team action. It seems as though if Hazard can get a run of games, he’ll be the one Northern Ireland rely on going forward.
It’s not as if Peacock-Farrell is playing regularly with Burnley either. He’s only made one Premier League appearance for the club this season. If Conor can get a run of senior games under his belt, it’ll be difficult to find a goalkeeper who deserves the NI jersey more than him.
And that’s what will make this summer so much more interesting. With a new manager coming in, Hazard has a great chance to try and show why he deserves to be the Parkhead number one. Vasilis Barkas and Scott Bain have failed to impress this season, with Conor managing four clean sheets in his six Celtic appearances this term [Transfermarkt].
Regardless, that’s for the long-term. After March’s fixtures, the next Northern Ireland squad won’t be decided until May. It’s clear that Baraclough is a big fan, especially having worked with Hazard as his number one for the under-21s over the years.
It’s going to be a big few months for the Celtic youngster. Here’s hoping he makes the most of it.
In other news, an EPL club insider believes his manager would be “tempted” by Celtic.
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