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Dion Charles is backing himself to supply goals for club and country.
With 18 in all competitions already under his belt, the Wanderers striker goes on international duty tonight looking to open his international account for Northern Ireland in San Marino.
Charles has been picked out by Michael O’Neill as one of the new generation of players who can help lead the team to Euro 2024.
Back for a second spell in charge, having taken Northern Ireland to the Euros in 2016, O’Neill has already made a big impression on the Bolton front man.
“I had a nice chat with him a couple of weeks back after he had got the job,” he said. “He told me about how he wants to work, where he sees me playing and how he can help me.
“I’m just excited to work with him.
“It’s massive for me to get international recognition. Hopefully I can kick on and do something special with Northern Ireland and get to a major tournament.”
Charles has proved a hit with Wanderers since signing from Accrington Stanley last January for £320,000, scoring 26 times in 66 appearances in all competitions.
He is currently just two away from becoming the first Bolton player in 22 years to top 20 goals in a single season – a feat last achieved by Michael Ricketts as the club entered into the Premier League under Sam Allardyce.
The 27-year-old loves being front and centre and admits fans’ attention has helped give him a swagger in his step at the University of Bolton Stadium.
“I love seeing my name everywhere, I love the fans chanting my name,” he said. “It means a lot to me and it makes me better at scoring the goals that I do.
“I do think there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Sometimes I think it might be mistaken for arrogance. But I can assure you it’s just confidence.”
With Jonny Evans and Steven Davis out injured, there are likely to be opportunities for Conor Bradley and Eoin Toal over the next few days, including a home fixture against Finland.
Experienced Watford defender Craig Cathcart is back in the squad, having declared himself unavailable in the Nations League under previous manager Ian Barraclough, and feels there is no reason why the side cannot qualify from Group H.
"I look back to 2016 personally and it makes me ambitious to want to get there again," he said.
"It was a great experience in my career and probably the most enjoyable time in my career. The ambition is to do it again and I think we can do that with Michael."
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