In July, it seemed unimaginable to the teenager that his campaign would end with him making his international debut for Northern Ireland, his first senior appearance for Brighton, and earning a move to Norwich City.
Periods in football are often described with cliches like ‘whirlwinds,’ but that is not an understatement for McConville, who has seen the tectonic plates in his life shift dramatically since the dark days he endured at the start of the season.
“You never know when it’s going to happen. Especially at the start of the season, I got injured on the first day of pre-season and was out for four months,” McConville said.
“Never would I have imagined I’d be sitting here having achieved everything that I’ve achieved. It’s a great feeling.”
McConville’s rate of progress proves that development paths in football are rarely linear. Progress is often about responding to adversities and setbacks with confidence.
A hamstring injury ruled McConville out of the chance to play in a home youth European Championships at U19 level – little did he know that just a handful of months later, Michael O’Neill would hand him a spot in the senior squad.
“It was really tough. I was due to go away with the Northern Ireland U19s. We were hosting the U19 Euro finals. All my mind was on that. I wasn’t even thinking of anything else. To miss that was a big blow.
