"Shea has been so, so impressive during my time working with him. I have never seen anyone better on the ball than this kid." It was in 2021 that the Northern Ireland youth coach Gerard Lyttle said he had never seen a youngster as comfortable on the ball as Shea Charles. Five years later, midfielder Charles has become the most expensive Northern Ireland player in history after he completed a £30m transfer from Southampton to Premier League side Fulham. From coming through at Manchester City, to becoming one of Michael O'Neill's most important players on the international scene, the 22-year-old has taken the long way round to a top-flight return.