MANCHESTER United’s influence on the current Northern Ireland squad is considerable, with seven players on the Old Trafford books at one time or another.
One of those is a defender-cum-midfielder – and it’s not Paddy McNair. The Ballyclare lad is still with the Red Devils, but although Luke McCullough has left, he believes his time there has set him in good stead for a future in the game.
The Portadown man suffered relegation from League One with Doncaster Rovers this season but he’s aiming to bounce back and show why he caught the eye of United talent scouts in his early teens.
“I was going over for a few years and then moved over full-time at 16. It was obviously a good start, everything’s there for you, the facilities are unbelievable.
“People say the only way is down from there… It was obviously a good grounding, a good start to try to learn the trade, the game.”
Now 22, `Fergie' “was still the boss, still the manager the whole time I was there. Sir Alex Ferguson was at the top of the club so everything is going to be in line under that. There was definitely a lot to learn off him and down through the club. It was a good grounding for me.
“We saw plenty of him, he would always say `Hello’ to you, ask you how you were getting on or ask what’s been going on. It was definitely good to have him there.”
Having played in the Irish League at the age of 15 with Dungannon Swifts, McCullough certainly impressed at first over in Manchester, so much so that he skippered the United Academy side.
“Aye, I was captain of the youth team there – it’s only a youth team, I suppose, but…it definitely was an honour…
“Paul McGuinness would have been the youth team manager when I was there. He was very good with me, a good coach, he helped me in my early days, helped me with my game.”
However, making the breakthrough to the senior set-up was understandably tough, as he recalls:
“The time came when I thought ‘I’m probably not going to play for the first team’ so I had to get out and try to establish myself with some first team football and I’ve managed to do that at Doncaster. I’ll just be trying to play more and more games, improve, and see where it takes me.”
Funnily enough, he’s now managed by Ferguson’s son Darren, of whom he says: “He’s very good, he is similar to his dad in many ways. He is a good manager who has lots of passion for the game. I think he can only help me improve.”
Having made his NI senior debut two years ago, playing in both games on the South America tour, McCullough got two substitute appearances during Euro 2016 qualifying, including in the home game against Greece which sealed qualification.
“I came on a couple of times at Windsor, which was obviously unbelievable, my mates and family were all there. Those were definitely good moments… I hope to get more time on the pitch.
“That Greece game was brilliant. We sorta knew we’d done it with half an hour to go, so we could nearly enjoy that last half an hour. Being on the pitch when the whistle went, and we knew we’d qualified, was definitely a brilliant moment.”
Asked if memories of that night are somewhat hazy, he laughs: “It was quite low-key because we had to get on the plane the next morning to go to Finland for the last qualifier. We had a little celebration after the Finland game.
“No, the memories are brilliant – and we’ll be hoping to make a few more memories in France.”
Now his face is on billboards around his hometown, and he admits: “It’s definitely very strange, I never thought it would have happened. It mightn’t happen again, my face on a billboard. I don’t think it’ll sink in for a few years, when all dies down.”
He was obviously delighted to make the squad, but he points out: “I’d be going as a fan if I wasn’t as a player, I’d be going regardless”.
