There’s a good reason why Arsenal are especially keen for Ceadach O’Neill to be a success story. The 18-year-old, who is vying to make his competitive debut in the Gunners’ Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night, is the first rising star to emerge from their raid on Scottish and Northern Irish academies, which began in 2024 and was influenced by Brexit rules.If the teenager can either make a name for himself at Arsenal, or one day be sold for a worthwhile fee, the club’s recruitment pivot to a UK strategy will have paid dividends.And Mikel Arteta likes what he sees. So do Northern Ireland, for whom O’Neill made his senior debut in June. And so do the Republic of Ireland, but we’ll come back to that. O’Neill was involved in the Gunners’ pre-season preparations, featuring in friendlies against Girona and Real Betis in August, as well as scoring in a behind-closed-doors fixture against MK Dons. He was also on the bench for Arsenal’s 3-0 Champions League victory over Lille earlier this month. This followed a fruitful 2025-26 campaign where he finished as the club’s top goalscorer in the academy with 18 goals in 30 games across three age-group levels. The 18-year-old Ceadach O’Neill is vying to make his competitive debut in Arsenal’s Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night The attacking player (right) has taken part in first-team training alongside Bruno Guimaraes, Declan Rice and Andre Harriman-AnnousThe versatile forward typically operates on either wing or as a false nine and with Bukayo Saka sidelined and Christos Tzolis still making his way back from injury, Arsenal are not blessed with options out wide.O’Neill’s profile is an exciting one. He’s 5ft 11in with tight dribbling skills and constantly looks to take opponents on and get into goalscoring positions. He’s also two-footed, reflected by his ability to play off both flanks. O’Neill’s long-term position remains a work in progress, though, Arsenal having also played him as an attacking midfielder.Born in Kilrea, County Londonderry, O’Neill made his senior debut for Linfield in the Irish Premiership aged just 15 against Ballymena United in November 2023. Weeks later he was on trial at Arsenal, and travelled to Brazil with the Under 16s in December 2023 for the Flamengo Adidas Cup – a baptism of fire for a teenager trying to win a contract. O’Neill impressed in the tournament before officially joining the Gunners in March 2024, later signing his first professional contract with the club in April 2025. He has flourished ever since and become the embodiment of Arsenal’s bid to tap into the best talents across the UK borders, bringing in other young prospectsfrom Scotland and Northern Ireland after Brexit made it harder to sign players from Europe. Callan Hamill, 17, signed an agreement in the summer of 2024 which allowed him stay at Scottish Premiership side St Johnstone while also splitting his time with Arsenal, before officially joining in July 2025. The versatile forward typically operates on either wing or as a false nine and with Bukayo Saka sidelined and Christos Tzolis still out, Arsenal are not blessed with options out wideEvan Mooney, 18, moved from St Mirren in February 2026 for a fee the Scottish club described as ‘substantial… with potential for significant future add-ons and a sizeable sell-on clause’. As for Northern Ireland, Daniel McCarron, 16, joined from Dungannon Swifts in July 2026. The Gunners’ pivot to the UK stems from Brexit. Before these rules changes, English clubs could recruit eligible 16 to 18-year-olds from EU countries. After Brexit, that was no longer allowed. So non-EU Northern Ireland and Scotland were seen as fertile areas for Arsenal to explore further. For example, Arsenal are having to wait for Victor Ozhianvuna to turn 18 in January 2027 before he officially joins them from Shamrock Rovers due to him coming from EU member, the Republic of Ireland. Most academy prospects have enough to worry about when it comes to whether they will make the grade or not. Yet O’Neill has had other matters to navigate too – the tug of war between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over his international allegiance.Having represented Northern Ireland at youth level, he earned his first two senior caps in friendlies against Guinea and France in June 2026. But that summer, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) approached him about switching to the Republic, thrusting the youngster into an international eligibility saga that dominated local headlines, despite him not having made his competitive debut for the Gunners. O’Neill represented Northern Ireland at youth level and earned his first two senior caps in friendlies against Guinea and France in June 2026. But that summer, the Republic of Ireland approached him about switching allegiances ‘I’ve been really impressed with him,’ said Mikel Arteta of O’Neill. ‘For his age, he’s really mature, really focused, and he has tremendous quality’Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill met the youngster in London in September before selecting him for the UEFA Nations League. O’Neill earned his third and fourth senior caps against Georgia and Ukraine on September 25 and October 2, effectiely ending the prospect of a switch under FIFA’s eligibility rules – you can’t switch allegiances after representing your country four times at senior level.With the saga behind him, O’Neill’s focus is now on impressing at Arsenal. After the summer Betis defeat, Arteta praised O’Neill when asked about the player by a throng of excited Irish journalists in the mixed zone.‘I’ve been really impressed with him,’ said Arteta. ‘For his age, he’s really mature, really focused, and he has tremendous quality. He’s a player that we have big hopes with and we just need to develop him in the right way.’ The challenge for O’Neill now is to turn that promise into first-team minutes – and, in doing so, become the clearest sign yet that Arsenal’s post-Brexit recruitment strategy is paying off.