Hale will receive future opportunities with Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's manager, Michael O'Neill, spoke after his team's heavy 5-1 loss to Sweden in a friendly match. He mentioned that he wanted to keep the team united and avoid becoming "very disjointed." One player, Ronan Hale, who plays for Ross County, was on the bench but did not get to play. This was his first time in the national squad after previously representing the Republic of Ireland at youth levels. O'Neill explained that he didn’t want to put Hale in the game when the team was already struggling at 5-0. O'Neill emphasized the importance of team morale and stated that bringing in players out of their normal positions can disrupt the team's flow. Despite this, he believes Hale will learn from this experience. He assured fans that Hale, along with other players, will get opportunities in future matches. O'Neill also mentioned that playing well at their clubs is important to earn those chances with the national team.