Ian Baraclough is confident Manchester City starlet Shea Charles has found a permanent international home with Northern Ireland.
Charles, a versatile midfielder who was born in Manchester and qualifies for the Green and White Army through his mother, is eligible to play for England.
The Republic of Ireland are also understood to be keeping an eye on the gifted 18-year-old who has trained with Pep Guardiola’s first team squad this season.
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Premier League prospects are always going to attract attention, but Baraclough has no fears of Charles jumping ship after coming through Northern Ireland’s underage ranks.
Asked if the talented teen, who has been handed a call-up to the Northern Ireland senior squad, might be on the radar of other neighbouring football nations, Baraclough said: “Not only England. I’m sure someone else has been in his ear as well.
“But we have high hopes of Shea developing into a very, very good player. He has come through the age groups and he is someone we have nurtured from a really young age.
“He’s probably in a senior squad quicker than he expected, but we don’t feel the need to cap him enough times to cover that (so) he can’t move anywhere else.
“The way he gets looked after and the opportunities he has been given with us is something that resonates with him and his family.
“We’ve got to be mindful of giving him something too early, but we feel he’s up to the challenge.”
Charles, who has been capped by Northern Ireland at U19, U17 and U16 level, can operate as a defensive midfielder or at centre-back and full-back.
He initially represented Manchester City at U18 level but was a regular in the club’s U23s which lifted the Premier League 2 title last month.
The 18-year-old, described as a “Rolls Royce of a player” by Northern Ireland U19 coach Gerard Lyttle, has also trained under the expert eye of City supremo Guardiola.
“We are in contact with the Man City coaches who look after Shea day in, day out and they are delighted with the way he has developed,” said Baraclough.
“He has played a lot of U23s football and trained with the first team as well.
“I know Pep (Guardiola) has been happy with what he has seen, otherwise he wouldn’t invite him back into that training group.”
Asked if Charles, who turns 19 in November, might need to go out on loan in search of regular first team football, Baraclough said: “Shea will have hopes for Man City.
“He has been there from a young age and he’ll certainly want to play for the first team.
“Listen, they’re always a team that’s going to bring in the biggest and best players in world football and probably none more so than Erling Haaland (from Borussia Dortmund).
“That’s the calibre of player he’ll have to go up against and prove his worth against.
“I think Shea has a really solid outlook and a realistic outlook on where he’s at and that he may have to go elsewhere, maybe on loan, to get more experience.
“We’ll deal with that and help him as it happens.”
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