Northern Ireland have been unable to qualify for a major tournament since the Euros in 2016.
A major component in their road to qualifying for their first major tournament since 1986 was the goalscoring exploits of Kyle Lafferty.
The journeyman striker scored a remarkable seven goals, taking his country to France for their first-ever appearance in a European Championship.
Over the past eight years, Northern Ireland have been disappointing, suffering setbacks such as losing in the World Cup play-offs in 2017 and facing relegation in the Nations League in 2021.
As Northern Ireland’s heroes of yesterday hang up their boots, a new generation must step forward.
As Northern Ireland have faced significant problems replacing Kyle Lafferty, one hopeful who will try to step up and take that mantle is 16-year-old Braiden Graham.
Graham is a product of Linfield’s academy and has gained a reputation for being potent in front of goal.
His impressive performances led to Linfield manager David Healy, Northern Ireland’s all-time top goalscorer, giving him his first team debut at just 15 years old.
Having gone onto make 14 appearances over the past season for Linfield, the forward has earned a move to Everton.
This Braiden Graham scout report and tactical analysis will provide an analysis of why Graham has been so highly rated and what he must improve on in order to progress all the way to first-team football in England.
Braiden Graham Position
When you look at Graham’s heat map for the games he has played in the Northern Ireland underage teams, his position and role within the teams tactics is evident.
Graham likes to operate in the width of the penalty area, playing as a classic poacher.
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