In-form Sheffield Wednesday man receives international call-up for World Cup qualifiers

Man-of-the-moment goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell, on loan from Premier League Burnley, will spend time with Northern Ireland next month as part of their World Cup qualifying campaign.

The 24-year-old has 23 caps and is expected to retain his number one shirt for their match-ups against Lithuania, Estonia and Switzerland.

Ian Baraclough’s men will be back in FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying action with a trip to Vilnius on September 2 followed by a home clash against the Swiss six days later on September 8. In between the two Group C games they take on Estonia in a friendly in Tallinn on September 5.

The squad continues in Baraclough’s effort to blood further youngsters alongside a number of experienced heads and despite his relatively tender age, Peacock-Farrell is one of the more experienced players in the squad.

The forthcoming international break could see Wednesday’s home clash with Sunderland on August 4 postponed if either club have three or more players called up for international duty.

The ruling includes age group football and offers the affected club the option of a postponement.

The Owls await news on possible call-ups for the likes of Ciaran Brennan (Republic of Ireland u21s), Theo Corbeanu (Canda) and Scottish pair Callum Paterson and Liam Palmer.

Darlington-born Peacock-Farrell qualifies for Northern Ireland through the birthplace of his grandfather.

Later that year he revealed that England national team staff had approached him about the possibility of changing his allegiance, which wouldn’t be possible given his Northern Ireland experience.