West Ham defender has big ambitions after Sixfields switch
Michael Forbes has eyes on a return to the Northern Ireland side after completing his loan move to Northampton last week.
The 21-year-old defender already has one cap for his country after working his way through the various age groups. He represented Northern Ireland at under-16, under-18, under-19 and under-21 level before making his senior debut in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Finland in November 2023.
"It's 100 per cent an ambition of mine to get back into the Northern Ireland squad,” said Forbes. “That's something I spoke to Kevin (Nolan) about on the phone and he felt it would be a great opportunity for me to come here, play games and push on and get back onto the international scene. This is a good platform for me to go and do that and I just want to get started."
Forbes arrives at Sixfields fit and ready for action, and he also feels well prepared for League One football after his spell at Bristol Rovers last season, even if it was disrupted by a hamstring injury.
"I've played three games in pre-season so I feel great and I feel fit and I'm ready to go,” added the young centre-back. “I had a couple of loans at this level last season and I felt like I've learned a lot about the game and this level and also about myself so I'm in a good place going into the season.
"I hope those experiences mean I can hit the ground running. Your first loan can be difficult because everything’s new but I've played a few games in this league now so I know what it's all about and what it takes to win and how important it is to get three points every week.”
After giving Forbes his first run-out in Saturday's friendly against Birmingham, Nolan spoke more about his new signing, saying: "I'm very pleased for Michael. He's had a tough time with injuries but I've known Michael since he was a young boy and he's someone who can come in and step up and we will help him with his development.
"We'll help him get to where he wants and what he wants to do. Having the relationship I do with West Ham, I think it will be a smooth transition for him and that's a good thing and it was important to get him another 60, 70 minutes today and we have to build that up.
"I'm looking forward to working with him and he'll be a great signing come the end of the season if we can keep him fit and get him ready. That's the big thing for him. He spoke about getting back into the Northern Ireland squad as well and that's what here's he to do and we're here to help him achieve that.”