Morrison is in Tommy Wright’s squad for Thursday’s European Championship qualifier at home to Latvia and next week’s trip to Greece fresh from starting for Arne Slot’s side in last month’s Carabao Cup defeat against Crystal Palace at Anfield.
It was a dream come true for the 19-year-old attacker to feature for the senior Liverpool side having impressed this season at youth level, and he will have a chance to build on that on the international scene in the upcoming matches.
O’Neill says he has ‘high hopes’ for Morrison, who became only the second Liverpool player to feature in a competitive first team fixture for the Reds in the last 70 years. Conor Bradley, now a Premier League winner and regular under Slot, is the other.
“It was good to see Kieran get that opportunity,” said O’Neill.
“Liverpool played a lot of younger players in that game (versus Palace) with the schedule that they have and felt that was the right thing to do.
“I think it shows progress for Kieran because when you look at any young player’s development, there’s always a period where you feel it’s very difficult to come through at Liverpool and just go into the first team without having some type of loan.
“You look at Conor (Bradley), he obviously spent a full season at Bolton and we’ve seen other players go through that.
“Probably Kieran’s going to have to go through that process as well, and I think the fact that he’s got first team minutes under his belt will help and Liverpool will manage that situation well.”
Northern Ireland senior boss Michael O’Neill has high hopes for highly-rated forward Kieran Morrison
Last week, O’Neill outlined his confidence that young Portsmouth striker Makenzie Kirk would come through to the senior international side.
Asked if he felt the same about Morrison, the ex-Stoke City boss said: “I think so. Senior international football depends very much on progressing in your club career.
“It just can’t be because you’re at a certain club that you get the chance to play.
“He’s at a club where it’s very, very difficult to play, so whatever path he takes in terms of a loan and how successful that is will determine his progress.
“I always say to the players we’re picking players who are playing League One football, so if you’re playing League One football you come under consideration.
“Patrick Kelly (Barnsley) and Jamie McDonnell (on loan at Mansfield from Nottingham Forest) are no better examples of that.
“At this moment in time, Kieran isn’t. He’s played in a Cup game for Liverpool, he’s still only 19 and he’s in the next phase, but I would expect if that progression continues he will come through and hopefully that’s the case.
“He’ll be with Tommy in the 21s this time, he’ll get the opportunity to play and he’s a player that we’ve high hopes for.”