Called-Up But Un-Capped

This is a list of players who have been called-up by Northern Ireland, without ever being awarded a senior cap.

This includes unused substitutes, reserves in attendance, named squad players withdrawn through injury or circumstance, and stand-by players (though it is seldom revealed who is actually on stand-by).

This list is likely very incomplete, and any additions are welcome.

More recent players listed could still earn caps and will be removed.

1880s

• David McCaw [Malone] (18 Feb 1882)
• John Waring [Cliftonville] (18 Feb 1882)
• Barclay [Ulster] (3 Mar 1888)
• McManus [Distillery] (3 Mar 1888)
• Brown (2 Mar 1889)

1890s

•  

1900s

•  

1910s

•  

1920s

• Jimmy Nelson [Cardiff City] [Scotland full]

1930s

•  

1940s

•  

1950s

• George McKnight [Blackpool] (1 Nov 1950)
• Frank Mulholland (1951)
• Billy Neill [Glentoran] (1952)
• Sammy Chapman [Portsmouth] (1958 World Cup Squad)
• Tommy Hamill [Linfield] (1958 World Cup Squad)
• Roy Rea [Glenavon] (1958 World Cup Squad)
• Bobby Trainor [Coleraine] (1958 World Cup Squad)

1960s

• Ray Gough [Linfield] (8 Oct 1960)
• Jack Milligan [Crusaders] (25 Apr 1961)
• Albert Finlay [Glentoran] (21 Oct 1967)

1970s

Jim Smyth, Terry Cochrane
and Barney Bowers

• Billy Millen [Linfield]
• Ivan Murray [Coleraine] (29 Oct 1975)
• Brian Johnston [Cliftonville] (13 May 1978)
• Alan Paterson [Sligo Rovers] (20 Sep 1978)
• Barney Bowers [Glentoran] (1979)
• Jim Smyth [Portadown] (1979)
• Noel Ward [Wigan Athletic] (1979)
• Eric McManus [Notts Co./Stoke City] (1979)

1980s

• John Sloan [Ballymena United] (20 May 1980)
• Gary Blackledge [Glentoran] (25 March 1981)
• Johnny Jameson [Glentoran] (1982 World Cup Squad)
• Jim Hagan [Birmingham City] (24 May 1983)
• Jim Harvey (tbc)

1990s

• Mickey Keenan [Portadown] (1990)
• Mark Todd [Sheffield United] (18 May 1990)
• Ian Curliss [Portadown] (1991)
• Alfie Stewart [Portadown] (1991)
• Paul Agnew [Grimsby Town] (1993)
• Raymond Campbell [Glentoran] (9 Sep 1992)
• Wes Lamont [Linfield] (12 Oct 1994)
• Dave Wells [Bournemouth] (22 May 1995)
• Neil Masters [Wolves] (3 Sep 1995)
• Mark Graham [Q.P.R.] (1996)
• Dele Adebola [Birmingham City] (1998)

2000s

• Davy Larmour [Linfield] (2000)
• Paul McKnight [St Mirren] (2 Sep 2000)
• Owen Morrison [Sheffield Wednesday] (6 October 2001)
• Gavin Melaugh [Aston Villa] (17 Apr 2002)
• Elliott Morris (6 Sep 2003)
• Roy Essandoh [Gravesend & Northfleet] (13 Oct 2004)
• Shane Duffy [Everton] (6 Jun 2009) [Republic of Ireland Full]
• Billy Kee [Leicester City] (9 Sep 2009)

2010s

• James McClean [Derry City] (10 Aug 2011) [Republic of Ireland Full]
• Rory Donnelly [Swansea City] (2 Jun 2012)
• Gerard Doherty [Derry City] (6 Feb 2013)
• Adam McGurk [Tranmere Rovers] (6 Jun 2013)
• Conor Devlin [Cliftonville] (6 Sep 2013)
• Rory McKeown [Kilmarnock] (6 Sep 2013)
• James Gray [Accrington Stanley] (30 May 2014)
• Caolan Lavery [Sheffield Wednesday] (31 May 2015)
• Calum Morris [Aberdeen/Dunfermline] (4 Sep 2016)
• Michael Duffy [Celtic] (15 Nov 2016)
• Mark Sykes [Oxford United] (11 Jun 2019) [Republic of Ireland Full]
• Bobby Burns [Hearts] (5 Sep 2019)

2020s

• Joel Cooper [Oxford United] (4 Sep 2020)
• Liam Hughes [Liverpool] (25 Mar 2021)
• Josh Clarke [Bournemouth/Glenavon/Celtic] (25 Mar 2022)
• Charlie McCann [Rangers] (2 Jun 2022)
• Kofi Balmer [Crystal Palace] (24 Sep 2022)
• Sean Goss [Motherwell] (23 Mar 2023)
• Carl Johnston [Fleetwood Town] (19 Jun 2023)
• Terry Devlin [Portsmouth] (17 Nov 2023)
• Stephen McMullan [Fleetwood Town] (17 Nov 2023)
• Christy Pym [Mansfield Town]] (12 Oct 2024)
• Rauri McConville (Brighton & Hove Albion) (15 Nov 2024)
• Justin Devenney [Crystal Palace] (15 Nov 2024)

1960-2003 (incomplete)

Player............ (Clubs) ............... Era*
Adebola... Dele... (Birmingham City)...... 1998
Agnew..... Paul... (Grimsby Town)......... 1993
Blackledge Gary... (Glentoran)............ 1981
Bowers.... Barney. (Glentoran)............ 1979
Campbell.. Raymond (Glentoran)............ 1992
Curliss... Ian.... (Portadown)............ 1991
Finlay.... Albert. (Glentoran)............ 1967
Gough..... Ray.... (Linfield)............. 1960
Graham.... Mark... (Queens Park Rangers).. 1996
Hagan..... Jim.... (Birmingham City)...... 1983
Jameson... Johnny. (Glentoran)............ 1982
Johnston.. Bryan.. (Cliftonville)......... 1978
Keenan.... Mickey. (Portadown)............ 1990
Lamont.... Wesley. (Linfield)............. 1994
Larmour... Davy... (Linfield)............. 2000
Masters... Neil... (Wolverhampton Wand'rs) 1995
McKnight.. Paul... (St. Mirren)........... 2000
McManus... Eric... (Notts Co./Stoke City). 1979-81
Melaugh... Gavin.. (Aston Villa).......... 2002
Morrison.. Owen... (Sheffield Wednesday).. 2001
Mulholland Frank.. (Glentoran)............ 1951
Murray.... Ivan... (Coleraine) ........... 1973
Paterson.. Alan... (Sligo Rovers)......... 1978
Sloan..... John... (Ballymena United)..... 1980-81
Smyth..... Jim.... (Portadown)............ 1979
Stewart... Alfie.. (Portadown)............ 1991
Todd...... Mark... (Sheffield United)..... 1990
Ward...... Noel... (Wigan Athletic)....... 1979
Wells..... David.. (AFC Bournemouth)...... 1995
* Approximate period of squad inclusions.