We are now entering the top 10, and the arguments will be even stronger for each position. Anyone at this stage could lay claim to being the greatest

On one of the busiest sporting weeks of the year, we are bringing you our list of the top 25 Northern Ireland sport stars of all time.

Rory McIlroy may be the talk of the sporting world right now, but that is nothing new as iconic Northern Ireland figures like George Best, Alex Higgins and AP McCoy have been houselhold names around the world.

We are now entering the top 10, and the arguments will be even stronger for each position. Anyone at this stage could lay claim to being the greatest.

On day one, we had international hockey star Katie Mullan, gymnast trailblazer Rhys McClenaghan, rugby legend Mike Gibson, GAA colossus Kieran McGeeney and Olympic gold medal winning swimmer Dan Wiffen.

At number 20, on day two, was soccer legend Pat Jennings. Former champion jockey Richard Dunwoody was in 19th, while Norman Whiteside, ex of Manchester United was in 18th. Three-time All-Ireland winner hero Sean Cavanagh was next in 17th, with boxing legend Wayne McCullough in 16th.

At number 15 was Paralympic legend Bethany Firth. Down GAA hero of the 1960s Sean O’Neill was 14th, while Ireland and Lions rugby icon Willie John McBride was 13th.

At number 12 was Belfast two-weight world boxing champion Carl Frampton and at number 12 was six-time World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea.

Here are numbers six to 10 on our Northern Ireland sport stars list:

6. JOEY DUNLOP

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Motorcycle icon Joey Dunlop OBE is widely considered the greatest road racer in history. Dunlop began racing in 1969 and within a few years had established a reputation alongside his colleagues in the ‘Armoy Armada’, he began to win trophies at circuits and road races throughout the British Isles.

His legacy is defined by 26 Isle of Man TT wins, five Formula One World Championships, 24 Ulster Grand Prix triumphs, and 13 North West 200 wins.

In 2015, the Ballymoney man was voted Northern Ireland’s greatest-ever sports star in a Belfast Telegraph poll.

His record of 26 Isle of Man TT wins stood for a remarkable 24 years, until his nephew Michael surpassed the longstanding Mountain Course benchmark.

He died in an accident in Estonia in July 2000, at the age of 48.

7. JACK KYLE

Born and educated in Belfast, John (Jack) Kyle was a central figure in Irish rugby’s post-war resurgence and played a pivotal role in Ireland’s historic Grand Slam victory of 1948, secured at Ravenhill.

Renowned for his instinctive brilliance, pace and vision, he went on to win 46 caps for Ireland and tour with the British & Irish Lions in 1950, captivating crowds in Australia and New Zealand with a style of play that marked him out as one of the game’s true greats.

In 1950, Kyle was declared one of the six players of the year by the New Zealand Rugby Almanac.

He is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame and was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame. He was named the Greatest Ever Irish Rugby Player by the Irish Rugby Football Union in 2002.

8. PETER CANAVAN

The Errigal Ciaran man is one of the most decorated Northern Ireland-based players in Gaelic Football history.

The diminutive Tyrone attacker won two All-Ireland Senior Football titles, six All Stars Awards (more than any other Ulster player), four Ulster titles and two National Leagues. He represented Ireland in the International Rules Series on several occasions.

While Tyrone lost the All-Ireland final in 1995, early in Canavan’s career, he scored 11 of their 12 points in the decider. He did claim Celtic Crosses in 2003 and again in 2005.

He led the line while Tyrone were far from a powerhouse, but ultimately helped them reach the promised land of All-Ireland senior glory and was known as ‘God’ or ‘Peter the Great’ by fans before the end of a legendary career.

9. DANNY BLANCHFLOWER

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Northern Ireland’s captain when they reached the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup, so immense was Danny Blanchflower during his illustrious career that he received three Ballon d’Or nominations.

The closest he came to winning it was in 1957 when he finished 14th in a very tight field behind runaway winner Alfredo Di Stefano.

A First Division winner with Tottenham, Blanchflower also won a European Cup Winners’ Cup and two FA Cups, and in his 56 caps for Northern Ireland he scored twice.

He was the first Northern Ireland player to pass a half-century of appearances for his country.

10. MARY PETERS

An Olympic icon, who built a lasting legacy through her 1972 Munich pentathlon gold medal win and decades of supporting athletes in Northern Ireland.

She established The Mary Peters Trust in 1975, helping hundreds of young sporting stars.

In the 45th pentathlon of her career, the veteran of Spartan Ladies AC achieved the ultimate success by winning an Olympic title with a new world record. English-born Peters spent much of her life in Ireland and her first pentathlon competition was at Ballymena in 1955.

In the 17 years leading up to her Olympic triumph, she won seven WAAA pentathlon titles as well as the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1970, and finished fourth in the 1964 Olympics and ninth in 1968. She also won the WAAA shot put title twice and was the Commonwealth Games champion in 1970.

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Tomorrow we unveil numbers 1-5 in our top 25 Northern Ireland sport stars of all time.

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BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has weathered a fresh ordeal with President Donald Trump, this time over the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, a conflict that does not even involve the world’s biggest military alliance and one it was never consulted about.

Since launching the war, Trump has derided U.S. allies as “cowards,” slammed NATO as “a paper tiger” and compared U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Neville Chamberlain, who is probably best remembered for a policy of appeasement toward Nazi Germany.

That comes on top of Trump’s repeated threats to seize control of Greenland, which have deeply strained relations with U.S. allies in NATO and raised fears that doing by force could spell the end of the organization.

In recent days, the man who is as good as chairman of the NATO board suggested that the U.S. might leave the trans-Atlantic alliance. Trump already threatened to walk out in 2018 during his first term. His complaint now is that some allies ignored his call to help as Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade waterway.

After talks with Rutte on Wednesday, the alliance’s most powerful leader took to social media to show his annoyance. “NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,” Trump posted.

Peppered with questions later on CNN about whether Trump intended to take America out of NATO, Rutte said: “He is clearly disappointed with many NATO allies, and I can see his point.”

Keeping America in

Rutte has earned a reputation as a “Trump whisperer,” notably helping to draw up a plan that has seen European allies and Canada buy U.S. weapons for Ukraine, and keep the administration involved in Europe’s biggest war in decades.

Indeed, one of his most demanding tasks since taking office in 2024 has been to keep the mercurial U.S. leader engaged in NATO, particularly as America has set its sights on security challenges elsewhere, in the Indo-Pacific, Venezuela, and most recently Iran.

Rutte has used flattery, praising Trump for forcing allies to spend more on defense. He has congratulated the U.S. leader over the war and refrained from criticizing Trump’s warning that “a whole civilization will die” should Iran not reopen the strait.

“This was a very frank, very open discussion but also a discussion between two good friends,” Rutte told CNN. He declined to confirm reports that Trump is considering moving U.S. troops out of European countries that do not support the war.

Asked whether the world is safer thanks to the U.S.-Israel war, Rutte said: “Absolutely.”

War launched by a NATO member, not at one

The striking thing about the war on Iran is that NATO has no role to play there. As a defensive alliance it has protected ally Turkey when Iranian missiles were fired in retaliation at its territory, but the war was launched by a NATO member, not at one.

Rutte himself has said that NATO would not join the war, and there is no public confirmation that the U.S. had even raised the issue at the organization’s Brussels headquarters, although it cannot be ruled out that the administration made a request on Wednesday for that to happen.

NATO declined to say whether security for the strait has been officially discussed and referred questions to the United Kingdom, which is leading an effort outside the alliance to make the trade route safe for shipping once the ceasefire is working.

NATO has operated outside of the Euro-Atlantic area in the past, notably in Libya and Afghanistan. But there is no appetite to do so again given its chaotic U.S.-led exit from Afghanistan in 2021, which former NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg described as a “defeat.”

Trump’s ire seems most directed at Spain and France, rather than NATO itself. Spain has closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the Iran war and has refused U.S. forces the use of jointly operated military bases.

After the two-week ceasefire was announced, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez posted on X that his government “will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket.”

“What’s needed now: diplomacy, international legality, and PEACE,” he added.

France has been critical, insisting that the war was launched without respecting international law and that Paris was never consulted about it. No blanket restrictions were placed on the use of joint bases or its airspace, but French authorities have said they’re making such decisions on a case by case basis.

Wendy Smyth travelled from Northern Ireland to Malaga, Spain, where she showcased the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) in full operation, highlighting the contrast for EU and non-EU citizens

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A British national has showcased the “reality” of the new Entry/Exit System (EES) that applies to everyone travelling to a destination within the Schengen area of the European Union. The system, which has been operational since October in some locations, is gradually being rolled out across the continent.

The EES is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of these countries and they will gradually replace passport stamps with a digital system that records when travellers enter and exit, making border checks faster and helping staff to work more efficiently.

Wendy Smyth, who hails from Northern Ireland, recently put the EES to the test as she travelled to Malaga. She took to TikTok, where she showcased a very crowded airport in the Spanish hotspot.

“Before you reach Passport Control, if you’re a UK national, you will need to register your biometrics on the system,” she explained. “There’s plenty of staff around to help you do this, and it involves taking your picture, taking your fingerprints and other information.”

Wendy went on to advise the EES is expected to be fully operational across the entire Schengen region from tomorrow (April 10). “There’s plenty of signage around Malaga Airport,” she continued, before highlighting how travellers are then split into two lanes ahead of Passport Control – comprising EU and non-EU citizens.

“If you’re unsure, there is a map beforehand, which will show you if you are a ‘blue country’ or not, what lane you should go in and likewise for ‘brown countries’,” Wendy said.

The lanes made for harrowing viewing meanwhile. The left – for Brits – appeared incredibly long, while EU citizens were able to stroll down their lane with ease.

“You’re held in this queue before you get to the ramp to go through into Passport Control,” Wendy advised. “This is what may greet you whenever you go through those glass doors.”

“If you’re an EU citizen you are able to walk down past everyone on the ramp and go to this empty space where the E-Gates are now operational – so be prepared – you may have to wait some time before you get through Passport Control.”

Writing in response, one TikTok user exclaimed in shock: “I think this will put a lot of people off travelling.”

A second person shared their frustration: “I had my fingerprints and photo taken in Poland but arrived in Spain today and it didn’t recognise my passport.”

Then a third fumed: “Bet you lot who voted from Brexit back in the day are happy, this is what we need to deal with now.”

While a fourth shared their experience of Malaga: “We went through Malaga on Tuesday and was through passport control in 15 mins. Seen the queues on TikTok and we had nothing!”

The countries in the Schengen area are:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The Republic of Ireland and Cyprus are not within the Schengen area, and therefore EES is not applicable when travelling to either of these countries.

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The X10 service has come in for criticism from locals over the reliability of the fleet and late cancellations – but a report from the Bus Users UK group has been hailed by the service’s operators.

An under-fire bus route has been praised in a new independent report from a passenger watchdog – despite criticism over unreliability.

A monitoring exercise from the Bus Users UK group focused on the X10 and X10A route which connects Stirling and Glasgow through Milngavie.

The bus is also a vital lifeline for passengers in rural Stirling, with the service making its way through villages such as Strathblane, Balfron and Kippen.

The service was found to have a 97 per cent punctuality rate, with all scheduled journeys successfully operated from the 183 monitored.

Inspectors also highlighted the “consistently high” standard of vehicles on the route and noted their clean and comfortable ride for passengers.

Greig MacKay, Director for Scotland, Bus Users UK, said: “Following a recent monitoring exercise concerning the X10/X10A routes that connect rural Stirling villages to Glasgow and Stirling.

“Bus Users UK recorded an overall punctuality score of 97 per cent.

“This represents a significant improvement in punctuality standards for these two lifeline services. Passengers have also benefited from new investment by McGill’s Midland Bluebird which has contributed to more reliable services for the passengers who use them.”

The state of the X10 has been a running complaint for local bus passengers, with Buchlyvie resident Iain Smith one of those left frustrated by inconsistent arrival times.

Mr Smith wrote to McGill’s Group CEO Tony Williamson in February following a case where he and several other passengers were left out in the cold waiting for an X10 bus at Stirling bus station, with Mr Williamson eventually forced to fork out for a taxi to get home.

The reliability of the fleet operating the route has also come in for criticism after a recent incident where an X10 bus was pictured at the side of the road near Cambusbarron with smoke pouring from the back as traffic built up around the bus.

A spokesman for Midland Bluebird blamed the incident on a “coolant leak” with the issue resolved.

Reacting to the report, officials from McGill’s – who run Midland Bluebird – said it worked as justification for the hard work on making improvements to the X10 offering.

Colin Napier, Group Service Delivery Director for McGill’s Group, said: “This is a strong endorsement of the X10 and X10A services and the effort our drivers and operational teams put in every day, particularly given the level of disruption on the network.

“We’re seeing around 90 per cent satisfaction from our own passenger surveys and a steady five per cent increase in footfall, which shows that customers value the service we’re providing. In the areas where we can continue to improve, we will strive to ensure we do that.

“To build on this progress, we need continued support from local authorities and partners.

“Investment in better infrastructure – such as improved shelters with real-time information, high-access kerbs, traffic light priority and dedicated bus lanes into and out of Glasgow – would make a real difference for passengers and help us deliver even more reliable services.”

Graeme Leslie, Area Director of Midland Bluebird, added: “We’ve made a real effort to listen to the communities along the X10 and X10A corridor.

“The feedback we gathered at our drop-in sessions in Balfron and Milngavie has helped shape practical improvements to the service, and it’s great to see that reflected in both performance figures and independent recognition.

“We’re committed to building on that progress and continuing to deliver a service that people can rely on.”

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua could fight at Croke Park in September, with talks under way to stage the long-awaited heavyweight bout in Dublin.

The event is being targeted for the 80,000-seat stadium – the iconic home of Gaelic games – but the bout depends on Fury winning his comeback fight on Saturday and Joshua not taking a warm-up this summer.

Fury takes on Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov in London this weekend while Joshua has only just returned to training after he was injured in a car accident in Nigeria that killed two of his close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.

Fury has not fought since December 2024 while Joshua’s last bout was against Jake Paul last December.

Should Joshua decide to take a warm-up fight before meeting Fury, the event will be targeted for the end of the year – potentially in the UK.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Croke Park stadium chief executive Peter McKenna said a Fury-Joshua fight in Dublin could mean Katie Taylor finally realised her dream of fighting in the stadium.

“The real hope is that we will get Tyson Fury here later on in the year. That would be such a world-billing event that we would be able to facilitate a Katie Taylor fight here,” he said.

“A lot of stars need to align. Katie’s manager needs to agree, Katie’s promoter needs to agree, Tyson Fury’s promoter needs to agree.

“I am very confident that all three are coming to the sense that this is one of Ireland’s greatest sporting athletes and it would be such a ‘wow’ to have her here and for her to finish her career here.”

Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew said the community is shocked and saddened to learn of the man’s death.

Police are investigating the sudden death of a man in Co Tyrone after reports of a body being discovered in a field.

The incident occurred in the Mill Road area of Aughnacloy on Wednesday, April 8.

Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew said the community is shocked and saddened to learn of the man’s death.

The Fermanagh South Tyrone MLA said: “The community is shocked and saddened to learn that a man has lost his life in Aughnacloy.

“I want to express my sympathies and thoughts with the man’s loved ones as they come to terms with this heartbreaking news.

“Police are investigating the circumstances of his death, and I would call on the public to avoid speculation while the investigation is ongoing.

“I would also urge anyone with information to contact the police.”

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of a man in the Mill Road area of Aughnacloy on Wednesday, 8th April.

“A post-mortem examination will be carried out to determine the cause of death. There is no further information at this stage.”

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A message appears online during heavy flooding: “This rain no be small o, everywhere don red.” Someone unfamiliar with the phrasing might hesitate. But for people in Nigeria, this message is immediate and clear: the flooding is severe and worsening.

Moments like this happen all the time on digital platforms. People don’t write in perfect, standard English sentences. They share warnings and reactions on platforms like X, WhatsApp and Facebook using the language of everyday life. This means sometimes mixing English with local expressions, slang and expressive language shaped by their communities.

Artificial intelligence systems can understand language and tackle a wide range of problems. Governments and organisations are increasingly using AI to scan social media, summarise public conversations, and even respond to environmental and climate issues.

But many of these tools struggle to make sense of the way people actually communicate. Local expressions and slang can confuse AI, so important messages are sometimes misunderstood or missed entirely.

When people talk about language barriers, they often mean translation between different languages. But the problem is more subtle. Around the world, people mix languages and local expressions online, a phenomenon that linguists call “code switching”.

Climate journalism has increasingly moved online, but there are fewer climate reporters in the developing world. This limits the depth and availability of information for a huge proportion of the global population, and shapes how climate issues are discussed and understood across different regions.

For instance, a UK social media post might raise an environmental concern using expressions like: “Are roads flooding already? Chuffed to know the council taking the piss.” Most AI tools can pick up the sarcasm and frustration aimed at local authorities.

In a country such as Nigeria, people may describe unfolding concerns differently: “Abeg is it October wey rain dey fall like this, but you say the climate no change?” or “River don near our house o! Abeg help, e fit spoil everything!”

Here, slang and Pidgin express immediate danger and an urgent call for help. Yet AI models often diminish this to casual commentary, entirely missing the urgency and emotion that is being conveyed.

This matters because most AI systems are taught on large western-centric text, mainly from North America and Europe. ChatGPT, for example, is instructed on huge amounts of internet text. It doesn’t have beliefs, feelings or awareness. Instead, it generates responses based on patterns it has seen online.

AI reflects the dominant culture in its training data, so carries a “cultural fingerprint”. It imitates normal ways of expressing ideas from the societies that produced the texts it has learned from. AI models trained on predominantly English-language texts show a hidden bias that favour western cultural values, particularly when asked in English.

One major reason AI can produce biased outcomes is that it reflects the societal inequalities including differences in race, gender and region that show up in the data it learns from. So, underrepresented voices from communities in developing countries with non-Anglocentric varieties of English are often diminished or ignored.

This bias can have real consequences. In climate crises like floods, heatwaves or other extreme weather, misinterpreted messages could put property and lives at risk.

AI systems that rely on past patterns are easy to interpret when language fits expected standards, but posts that don’t conform with the presence of local slang or urgency cues can be misinterpreted.

Improving climate disaster responses

Solving this problem involves designing systems that actually reflect the way people communicate. AI systems need to be trained to understand regional expressions and recognise that meaning often depends on cultural context, not just literal words.

AI should be tested on real online posts, not formal western-centric English, to capture urgency and local references. Automated systems can process huge volumes of information, but human judgment must remain in the loop – especially when people’s safety is at stake.

AI tools can help communities respond to floods, heatwaves and other climate emergencies – but only once trained to interpret the nuance of everyday language, so that warnings and calls for help get through.

The CPJ also said on Wednesday that two other journalists had been killed in separate Israeli strikes in Lebanon this week – Ghada Dayekh, a presenter with privately-owned radio station Sawt al-Farah, and Suzan Khalil, a reporter and presenter on Al-Manar TV, which is affiliated with the armed group Hezbollah.

KRW Law have issued a statement on behalf of Katie Simpson’s next of kin

The family of Katie Simpson have hit out at the outcome of an ombudsman decision regarding a police officer involved in her murder investigation.

KRW Law has issued a statement on behalf of the next of kin of Ms Simpson after the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland said that an investigation found “no evidence of criminal wrongdoing” by an officer who was involved in the 21-year-old’s murder investigation.

It also confirmed that no disciplinary proceedings have been recommended against ‘Police Officer 12’ with the PONI citing the officer’s grave illness and subsequent retirement from the PSNI.

READ MORE: Katie Simpson: Ombudsman finds no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by officer during investigationREAD MORE: Resolving police file redactions ‘key’ for progress, Katie Simpson inquest told

Ms Simpson, 21, from Tynan, Co Armagh, died in Altnagelvin Area Hospital almost a week after an incident in Gortnessy Meadows, Lettershandoney, on August 3 2020.

Police originally thought she had taken her own life. It was not until the following year that Jonathan Creswell, the partner of Ms Simpson’s sister, was arrested on suspicion of murder.

The trial of Creswell, 36, for the murder of Ms Simpson ended in April following his sudden death in 2024.

The law firm has said, “While this decision concludes one narrow aspect of the overall investigative scrutiny, significant issues of concern remain unresolved for our clients.”

The statement continued: “The findings shared today again highlight the ongoing lack of clarity regarding ownership of the police investigation at its early and crucial stages. As confirmed by PONI, responsibility for the case appeared to shift ambiguously between the Local Policing Team (LPT), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and the Major Investigation Team (MIT). This uncertainty contributed to a situation where an inexperienced LPT officer was left managing a case far beyond their capacity, despite more experienced units being fully aware of the circumstances.

“This structural confusion lies at the heart of the family’s concerns and has yet to be satisfactorily addressed.”

Solicitor Kevin Winters of KRW LAW commented: “The highly unusual conflation of ownership between various entities within PSNI has not been satisfactorily resolved. Our clients, the next of kin, are unhappy at the outcome and rather than dispel rumour and suspicion, today’s communication has only served to compound their anxieties. The simple fact remains that the Katie Simpson murder investigation fell between three stools, not two.”

KRW Law has said that “given the continued shortcomings in accountability and the limited scope of today’s conclusions, our clients consider the outcome insufficient. While six officers were previously subject to disciplinary recommendations, this falls well short of their expectations. “

Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said: “We note today’s announcement from the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI), which states that no evidence was found to support an allegation of criminal wrongdoing, made about a police officer involved in the PSNI investigation into the murder of Katie Simpson.

“We remain committed to learning from this case, and will continue to co-operate fully with PONI in relation to any complaint.”

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Chido Obi started up front for Man Utd U21s as they suffered a 4-2 defeat to Real Madrid at Old Trafford.

On Tuesday night, there was an opportunity to counter-attack against Real Madrid, but Chido Obi’s pass was delayed because he failed to get the ball out of his feet quickly enough.

The moment of dithering allowed Madrid to get back in numbers and stop the move from developing. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the first time Obi had been guilty of moving his feet quickly enough this season.

Obi represented Manchester United’s Under-21s against Madrid. The truth is that if his link-up play still requires work at academy level, he is further away from a permanent first-team breakthrough than he would like.

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United categorised the Premier League International Cup quarter-final against Madrid as a ‘Grade A game’, a status given to important academy fixtures for which the best young players are made available.

Shea Lacey trains with the first team day-to-day but did not travel to the Republic of Ireland for the four-day training camp in order to be involved. Obi would have been considered for the Carton House trip, but United wanted to field a strong academy team.

The game was an opportunity for academy players who are closest to a first-team breakthrough to prove their quality against top opposition. Obi won the penalty for Lacey’s goal, but Real Madrid’s goalkeeper made the mistake with a heavy touch, and Obi didn’t really land a proper blow during the contest.

United did not create many chances after taking a two-goal lead within the first 15 minutes, which is relevant context to Obi’s performance. However, he didn’t do enough off the ball to have an impact on the game.

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There were further shouts of ‘Chido!’ from Adam Lawrence on the touchline. “When a coach is tough on players, or they spend more time with them, it means that they really, really believe in the player,” said Lawrence recently when asked about constant shouts at Obi.

United coaches have kept on top of Obi during matches this season, providing encouragement and instructions to get more out of him, and his off-the-ball work has improved since the start of the campaign.

Obi’s performance against Manchester City in the Under-18 derby was an example of that. He was brilliant, pressing aggressively, and academy coaches agreed it was his finest off-the-ball display of the season.

The Madrid game was a bigger challenge, against better opposition in a higher age group. Obi’s performance was reminiscent of some of his early-season displays, and such deficiencies are not acceptable at first-team level, which suggests he needs a loan next term.

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“His level of progression and performance will dictate what happens in the summer,” said Lawrence. “I think for Chido, it’s maximising between now and the end of the season, all the opportunities that he’s going to get.

“Pre-season is when the first-team staff will look at players and then decide what is best for them. We’re trying to prepare every player for the first-team environment. If he made that much progress or he got to that stage, then obviously the first team would make that decision.

“A lot can happen between now and pre-season. It’s probably not an easy one to answer in black and white, but there’s definitely going to be opportunities there for him. It would just be where his game is at that specific time to dictate what happens next.”

Obi will get a first-team audition during pre-season, especially as several senior players will be representing their respective nations at the World Cup while United’s preparations get underway.

However, this season’s evidence is more conclusive than a handful of summer friendlies will ever be, meaning plans should be put in place to find Obi a suitable loan in Europe from the moment 2025/2026 comes to a close.

United have sent the majority of academy loanees to British clubs over the last few years. A recent relationship has been developed with FC Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland, but that is due to the Ineos ownership link.

It wouldn’t be the right choice to send Obi down the divisions in England given where his game is. The Championship is where United tend to send highly rated youngsters on loan, but Obi does not look ready to cut it in one of the most physically demanding leagues in the world.

Obi would benefit from a loan to a European league with a slightly lower tempo and less physicality. The Eredivisie in the Netherlands feels like a good fit for the young striker’s next move, for example.

United have a general rule of keeping their most talented prospects within the building, as they can include them in first-team training and provide senior minutes from the bench in cup competitions to help them establish themselves, but Obi would learn more during a season on loan in Europe.

There is no doubt that Obi has benefited from the decision to keep him in the academy this season. Despite struggling to get involved against Madrid, he has otherwise looked much better out of possession.

A season away from Manchester is the obvious next step for his development. He only celebrated his 18th birthday in November and still has significant potential.