Michael Forbes is looking to use his move to Dundee United to cement his place in the Northern Ireland squad. The summer signing from West Ham United has one Irish cap so far, having made his debut under Michael O'Neill back in 2024. Now, the 22-year-old defender is determined to become a permanent fixture in the national team.
Forbes Aims for International Consistency
Forbes admitted: “I really wasn’t expecting it (the first cap), to be fair. It was a long time ago now so as good as it was, I want to get back in there again. The manager said that too, playing in the SPFL will give me a pathway to getting back in there. If I play well for Dundee United then it will help me get back into the senior team for Northern Ireland. That is a big goal of mine, I don’t want it to have been a one-off, I want to make it a permanent thing being in there.”
The international push was a big part of Dundee United and manager Jim Goodwin’s summer pitch. Forbes acknowledged: “I knew I would be going on a free transfer this summer so we’d been working on it for a while, trying to find the right place. The manager contacted my agent, we started speaking and I spoke to a few other clubs as well. But speaking to Jim, I got a really good feeling and that made my mind up to come here. The gaffer played a big part in it, I am happy with my decision and hopefully we can have a good season.”
Manager's Influence Key to Decision
Forbes emphasized the importance of feeling wanted: “It’s important to hear a manager wants you, it’s important to feel you’ll be wanted by the team. The gaffer gave me that, he made me feel I’ll be important to the club - that helps a lot with your mindset and how you look at things. We felt that with what the manager said to us, we had some really good conversations. I feel coming here can really help me develop and I can help the team, so it’s a move which will hopefully work for everyone.”
Forbes has been impressed by the facilities at Tannadice: “It has been really good so far, the facilities here are fantastic so it’s been enjoyable coming in and getting to know everyone.”
Leadership Experience from Young Age
Despite his relative youth, Forbes has leadership experience, having captained West Ham’s under-21s and Northern Ireland at the same age. He confirmed: “From a young age I have had a lot of responsibility playing with the teams I’ve played at, both at West Ham and with Northern Ireland. I was honoured to be put in that situation and I think I suit those leadership roles well. It’s a big part of my game, the manager recognises that and he likes that. It matures you a lot quicker, making that transition from a boy to a man speeds up when you’re captaining teams.”
Loan Spells Provided Valuable Lessons
Forbes had a number of options this summer in England and Holland, but chose Dundee United. He brings plenty of league exposure from loan spells with Bristol Rovers, Colchester United, and Northampton last season. Forbes knows all those experiences have been beneficial: “When you are on loan you learn hard lessons fast. Although my first loan didn’t seem so successful on paper, off the pitch as a person and a player you learn a lot about what men's football is all about. At Northampton, I got a lot of exposure in terms of playing so that was positive. So you have the tough side of it, then the good side of it. You learn about it all, training your body to play at that level, cope with playing games and then how to develop as a player. So all of those experiences have helped me, I’m very grateful for my time at all the clubs. It has definitely sculpted me into the player I am now, but I have to keep pushing forward now because you always have to make yourself better.”
Adapting to New Environment
Forbes is aware of the challenges of joining a new club: “It can be daunting walking into a new changing room but when you’ve done it a couple of times it helps you settle in better. This is another new experience, I have never played in Scotland before obviously and there will be different characters here. It’s all about learning from each other so I’m excited about working with the players we have here. The first game of the season comes around fast so we need to make sure we’re ready for it.”
Dundee United has proved to be a good development ground for players coming up from England. Will Ferry is one example and is currently subject to a seven-figure bid from a Czech Republic side.
