Shea Charles embraces £30m move as focus shifts to Nations League

Shea Charles says he is not weighed down by becoming the most expensive Northern Ireland footballer after a £30m summer move from Southampton to Fulham, and is instead focused on international duty as Northern Ireland prepare for four Nations League fixtures.

WHAT HAPPENED
Shea Charles, 22, completed his move from Championship side Southampton to Fulham in the summer. The transfer, reported at £30m, gave him the chance to move up a division and play in the Premier League. On the price tag he told BBC Sport NI: "I don't really think about it [the price tag] too much, and you see what a lot of people are going for these days, it's kind of crazy. I've just got really good people around me, living with my younger brother and my older brother, mum and dad. I've got a really good friendship group that keep me grounded."

INTERNATIONAL ROLE
International football will occupy Charles over the coming weeks as Northern Ireland face Georgia (home and away), Hungary and Ukraine in the Nations League. He has already won 35 caps since his debut in June 2022 and highlighted the value of facing higher-level opponents: "Being able to show your level against those kind of players was always going to help." Manager Michael O'Neill has frequently selected Charles and given him leadership responsibility, including handing him the captain's armband on a couple of occasions.

CLUB FORM
Charles has taken part in all five of Fulham's Premier League matches this season, starting three, including recent draws with Liverpool and Manchester United. Alvaro Arbeloa's side sit 19th in the table with two draws and three defeats. On settling at the club he said: "It's really exciting and I've settled in really well. It's a really good club and when I spoke to the manager we saw football in the same way." He also reflected on the Manchester United game: "Against Man United it was a really good game and I thought we were unlucky not to win the game."

FAMILY AND ELIGIBILITY
Charles, who was born in England, qualifies to play for Northern Ireland through his mother. His brother Pierce, a goalkeeper, is also in the Northern Ireland squad and is currently on loan at Queens Park Rangers from Manchester City after a summer switch. Shea described the experience of playing alongside his brother for their country as "kind of the stuff of dreams" and noted how proud their mother is when watching them, particularly at Windsor Park.