San Marino 0-2 Northern Ireland: 'No ceiling point' for young players - Michael O'Neill

Manchester City youngster Shea Charles impressed Michael O'Neill

Michael O'Neill says there is "no ceiling point" for some of the young talents in his Northern Ireland side.

Dion Charles scored twice as Northern Ireland beat San Marino 2-0 on O'Neill's return to the job.

O'Neill was impressed with teenagers Conor Bradley, Shea Charles and Isaac Price, who finished the Euro qualifier.

"We're obviously trying to mount a campaign we can qualify in but we're trying to build a team going forward as well," he said after Thursday's win.

Bolton right back Bradley, on loan from Liverpool, and Manchester City midfielder Shea Charles were handed starting berths by O'Neill and rewarded the returning manager with assured performances in Northern Ireland's opening Euro 2024 qualifier in San Marino.

Everton teenager Isaac Price was handed his debut in the closing stages and O'Neill said he was "delighted" with his young players.

• Charles scores twice as NI win on O'Neill's return

"I've watched a lot of Conor this season and I told him before the game to take his club form and play," he said.

"It's no different and I think that is how he approached the game. He had a real positive mindset to the game, he is very good athletically, good technically and he keep improving and getting better.

"Shea was magnificent, I thought. He broke the play up, he rarely wasted a pass. We put him in the middle of the back three for the last 15 minutes and he wasn't fazed by that.

"His temperament for the game is as good as I've seen in a young player, to be honest.

"It was nice to get Isaac Price on the pitch as well because he has impressed. He is a very young player and he has impressed in the three days we have had him."

O'Neill delighted for goalscorer Charles

While the three youngsters had impressed O'Neill, it was Dion Charles who stole the headlines as the in-form Bolton striker carried his club form onto the international stage.

"He deserved to play. He is a striker in form and has been in form for a consistent period of time," O'Neill said about Charles, who has scored 18 goals for Bolton this season.

"Josh [Magennis] and Conor [Washington] have had a few injuries as well, so it was who would play with Dion. The two of them shared the 90 minutes

"I was delighted for Dion because when you come in and play international football as a striker, your first goal or couple of goals is very important."

Attempting to repeat their Euro 2016 qualification under O'Neill, Northern Ireland can move into a strong, albeit early position with victory over Finland at Windsor Park on Sunday.

Rasmus Hojlund netted a hat-trick as Denmark beat the Finns 3-1 in their opening match while Slovenia won 2-1 away in Kazakhstan.

"It's a different game. These games are different from the perspective that you are expected to win it," former Stoke City boss O'Neill added.

"You always look at little areas you can improve on in the final third, our final ball needs a little bit of work and our runs into the box need a little bit of work as well.

"We'll go to a different type of game where we won't have that dominance or level of possession. We'll be tested out of possession but that might suit us and it might be better for out attacking players to play in bigger spaces against less of a crowded defensive line.

"The opportunity is there for us to take six points from the opening two games."