Shea Charles is the most expensive footballer Northern Ireland has ever produced, but the Fulham midfielder carries that distinction with quiet confidence rather than visible pressure.

Speaking to BBC Sport NI ahead of a demanding four-game Nations League schedule, the 22-year-old came across as relaxed yet focused — determined to help Michael O'Neill's youthful squad build on the momentum they have been gathering.

A record-breaking summer move

Charles completed a £30 million transfer from Championship side Southampton to Fulham in the summer, earning him the title of Northern Ireland's most expensive player ever — a distinction he describes as "quite crazy."

"I think I was like second or third before that. But to be number one, it's really cool," he told BBC Sport NI's Stephen Watson. "Just to be in the Premier League and being able to play my football is amazing."

He insists the price tag rarely occupies his mind, crediting a close family circle — including his two brothers and his parents — for keeping him grounded. "I've got really good people around me," he said. "They keep me grounded."

International football as a launchpad

Already capped 35 times since his debut in June 2022, Charles credits international football with accelerating his development. Facing top opposition outside the Championship gave him the platform to prove himself at the highest level.

"International football has always been massive for me — the types of players you play against, you rarely get to face them in the Championship," he said. "Being able to show your level against those kinds of players was always going to help."

O'Neill's trust in him — including handing him the captain's armband on occasion — has deepened that bond. "Michael has given me a bit of responsibility and I just try to set an example, on and off the pitch, and be someone the young lads can look up to," Charles said.

Settling in at Fulham

Charles has featured in all five of Fulham's Premier League matches this season, starting three, including draws against Liverpool and Manchester United. Alvaro Arbeloa's side currently sit 19th, having collected two draws and suffered three defeats.

"Whether it was with Southampton or by getting a move, the aim was always to get back to the Premier League," he said. "Against Man United it was a really good game — I thought we were unlucky not to win. To play in a game like that so early after my move was really good."

Brothers in arms

His brother Pierce, a goalkeeper on loan at Queen's Park Rangers from Manchester City, is also part of the Northern Ireland squad, and the pair regularly line up together on the international stage.

"It's kind of the stuff of dreams to play with your brother internationally," Charles said. "When you're playing teams like France and Italy and he's playing alongside you, it's really cool. We've always been best mates."

'I can tell how proud mum is'

English-born Charles qualifies for Northern Ireland through his mother, who has barely missed a home match at Windsor Park and even travelled to Italy to watch her sons compete.

"She is dead proud — you can see it on her face in the crowd at Windsor Park," he said. "For us both to be playing together is just incredible. I told her when I was younger that me and Pierce would play for Northern Ireland, and I've definitely followed through with that promise."

Looking ahead to Northern Ireland's Nations League fixtures — home and away against Georgia, and matches against Hungary and Ukraine — Charles believes the squad has the quality to make a statement. "The potential is definitely there for us to prove how good we are," he said. "It's a really tight-knit group and that makes a big difference."