Conor Bradley believes Northern Ireland's young squad has the potential to become "a really good team."
At just 21, the defender captained Northern Ireland for the first time during Saturday's frustrating goalless draw against Belarus in the Nations League.
Despite dominating the game, which was played behind closed doors in Hungary due to Uefa sanctions, Northern Ireland couldn't find a breakthrough despite several chances.
The team looked disheartened at full-time, and Bradley explained the frustration, saying, "We know how good we are and how good we can be."
Speaking to BBC Sport NI, he added: "We're still young and learning, but there's definitely potential. If we can just get everything to click, we can be a really good side. We're excited about the future, but we need to keep pushing for wins."
The Liverpool full-back praised Northern Ireland's first-half display but was "really disappointed" they couldn't secure all three points.
"I thought we performed really well," Bradley said. "It’s one of the best performances we’ve had in a while, but we just couldn’t put the ball in the net.
"If we had scored once, we probably would’ve gone on to score three or four. It was just one of those nights.
"But at least we didn't lose, and we did well to keep the clean sheet."
'I was really proud to be captain'
Despite securing their second clean sheet in three Nations League matches, Northern Ireland have now gone without a goal since their opening win against Luxembourg.
Their last six goals in all competitions have come from defenders, with Conor Bradley contributing three of them. Forward Jamie Reid was the last striker to score, netting in March's draw with Romania.
Bradley acknowledges that scoring goals is "probably the hardest thing to do in football" but remains optimistic that Northern Ireland can improve their form in front of goal.
"We struggled with it [on Saturday], but I'm sure there will be nights where we score two or three," he said. "We just need to keep working hard and stick together, and I’m confident we'll turn it around."
Reflecting on his first time captaining Northern Ireland, Bradley said he was "extremely proud" and would love the opportunity to lead the team again against Bulgaria at Windsor Park on Tuesday. However, he understands that the decision rests with manager Michael O'Neill, who has indicated he will rotate the captaincy throughout the Nations League.
"Walking out with the armband and the team behind me was a surreal experience," Bradley added. "I’m really proud. It’ll be even more special if fans are there, but it's up to Michael to decide who will wear the armband on Tuesday."