LUCA CONNELL WILL not be making his senior international debut for Ireland next month.
The 18-year-old midfielder impressed manager Mick McCarthy enough with his performances for Bolton Wanderers to earn a surprise call-up to the squad ahead of the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Denmark and Gibraltar.
Liverpool-born Connell spent last week getting settled into the group during the training camp in Portugal, and spoke about how thrilled he was to be included.
However, the Ireland U19 international has picked up a thigh strain — ruling him out of the double-header.
“He was excellent [in the Algarve],” McCarthy said of the youngster, during today’s media briefing.
He’s got a lovely personality about him. Really pleasant, young fella and he stood out in training. I was impressed with him.
“I’ve just seen him saying goodbye to all the lads and each and everyone of them gave him a hug, [saying] ‘good luck’, ‘get fit’ and ‘see you next time’.
“Everybody took to him as a person and as a player, so it’s sad for him to be going as it was a good opportunity for him.”
McCarthy confirmed that he will not be calling up a replacement for Connell.
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Here we go again!
Would like to consider his options!
@Michael Anthony Murray: Call him up next time he’s fit. If he doesn’t jump at the chance then move on and forget about him.
@Michael Anthony Murray: the injury was diagnosed at the training camp with Ireland. It’s not a spoof.
@Dave O Keeffe: a thigh injury!!! When the Gibralter game is about 2 weeks away?!
Must be a serious thigh injury to keep a young lad out for that long.
@Michael Anthony Murray: well he was told in advance that he wouldn’t be in the squad for the games unless he really impressed and by all accounts he did just that but he now won’t be fully fit. The fact that a replacement wasn’t called up should tell you all you need to know really
Here comes England whispering in his ear !
Seems to me a lot of people are adding 2+2 and getting 5. Connell was released by the Irish physio team after an assessment on a thigh injury picked up yesterday after he spent a week in the Algarve camp with the squad. He was deemed upfit to play in tomorrows training match against the U21s. It wasn’t Connell’s decision. Travers (UK born and uncapped) and Browne also withdrew. I don’t hear people reaching the same conclusion with Travers. Let’s not paint every player with the Grealish and Rice brush.
@Mick Rooney (TIPM): The truth is that England have so many central midfielders emerging – Winks, Rice, Longstaff, Foden, Garner etc that he’d be mad to consider that move.
I think we all know that there’s every chance he’ll still play for us but…. Just feels like we’re the jealous boyfriend on the rebound, having been dumped by Rice, and seeing Connell get minutes would have been like pulling that new fit bird in the club to help you forget the old one.
@Mick Rooney (TIPM): Travers was born here
@Mick Rooney (TIPM): Travers UK born lol
Hello darkness my old friend
Conor Ronan needs to be capped asap. They should call him up play him against gibralter
@Bill Clay: he might impress tomorrow
Plays for a club relegated to league one, surely we have players over here of comparable standard, and established with their clubs??
@Der Lowbridge: It:s about the potential. Apparently a good few premier league clubs are ready to snap him up very soon.
There must be something seriously wrong with roi training methods. An awful lot of players get injured when training with the national team.
@Shameless McFly™: it’s the time of year for injuries unfortunately. End of a long season for most in the Irish squad.
Nice to have you for the training Luca, all the best with your international career with England
For F@#*+ sake!
This reminds me of something the great Dubya Bush once said
“There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.
Can we just forget the usual Journal.ie barstool comment nonsense. The lad is injured. Go look for shiny objects of distraction and ‘I’m outraged’ somewhere else.
https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/new-recruit-connell-assures-mccarthy-that-he-sees-his-future-with-ireland-38162823.html