Jamie Donley scored his first Northern Ireland goal in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Luxembourg
Jamie Donley has disclosed the assistance he received from England skipper Harry Kane during his early career following his maiden Northern Ireland strike that secured Michael O’Neill’s team a 1-0 World Cup qualifying triumph over Luxembourg.
Donley converted from twelve yards in the 44th minute at Windsor Park to decide a lacklustre conclusion to the Group A campaign, having previously seen a superb effort chalked off with Ethan Galbraith in an offside position.
Beyond delivering victory for Northern Ireland as they prepare for their qualifying play-off in March, Donley’s strike proved significant on a personal level given his disappointing lack of playing time whilst on loan at Stoke from Tottenham this term, managing just six outings.
That didn’t prevent O’Neill from backing the 20-year-old Donley to earn only his second international start, and maiden competitive appearance, on Monday whilst deploying him in the number nine position despite typically featuring at number 10.
Donley acknowledged he’s still adjusting to the role, though he’s absorbed guidance from Kane during their spell together at Tottenham, prior to Kane’s switch to Bayern Munich in summer 2023.
“That’s probably why I like to try and drop deep because I’m trying to do what he does,” Donley remarked regarding Kane.
“He helped me a lot when he was around just with different types of advice and stuff. So, yes, it’s good to learn from the best.”
The striker position has remained a concern for Northern Ireland across recent seasons. Despite Donley typically operating in deeper areas, O’Neill views him as a possible answer to their problems.
“Michael always speaks to me about playing me as a striker,” Donley revealed. “He can see me playing there, and he kind of just said to take my opportunity. Luckily, I scored.
“Normally, I’m behind the striker but with this, it’s more about running behind more and stretching the game. I can add that to my game, definitely.”
Similar to Kane, Donley featured for England across various youth categories, though the Antrim-born attacker changed his international allegiance to his father’s homeland in March and hasn’t regretted the decision, with Monday’s match marking his sixth appearance.
“Personally, I don’t think it was a huge call,” Donley reflected on his switch. “Michael was on to me for a couple of years about coming over.
“I just think it was right for me and my career at that moment. I’m delighted with how young the group is and how well we’re performing at the minute. I think I’ve definitely made the right decision.”
The subdued mood at Windsor Park on Monday followed the disappointment of Friday’s 1-0 defeat in Slovakia, which ended hopes of securing a top-two spot in Group A.
Nevertheless, Northern Ireland can anticipate a qualifying play-off in March following their Nations League triumph last year. Thursday’s draw will reveal their opposition.
“We’re all really excited,” Donley stated. “We’ve got nothing to lose in the game, or hopefully two games, because we know we’re going to be coming up against a top team.
“We’re going to be away. Obviously, we know the travelling fans are going to help us a lot and we are looking forward to it.”
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