REPUBLIC OF IRELAND manager Stephen Kenny has called James Talbot of Bohemians into his squad.
The goalkeeper is being drafted in ahead of three World Cup qualifiers, the first of which will see the Boys in Green face Portugal in Faro on Wednesday evening (7.45pm).
News of the call-up was confirmed this afternoon by Talbot’s club, with the 24-year-old set to take the place of Mark Travers.
An unspecified illness brought an end to Travers’ run of four consecutive Championship starts for Bournemouth as he was forced to sit out Saturday’s goalless draw with Hull City.
Talbot, who joined Bohs ahead of the 2019 season after being released by Sunderland, helped the Gypsies reach the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup yesterday with a 2-1 win over Shamrock Rovers.
The Dubliner first featured in an Ireland senior squad under Mick McCarthy in June 2019, when he was an unused substitute for European Championship qualifiers against Gibraltar and Denmark.
Talbot will join Gavin Bazunu of Portsmouth (on loan from Manchester City) and Liverpool’s Caoimhín Kelleher as Stephen Kenny’s goalkeeping options.
Having fallen to third in the pecking order of goalkeepers at West Ham United, Darren Randolph has been omitted from an Ireland squad that is also gearing up for home games against Azerbaijan (Saturday) and Serbia (Tuesday week).
Darren Randolph has never let us down.. hasn’t been playing for his club but so have a lot of other players in the squad and his experience would be invaluable to the rest of the goalkeepers.
Bizarre decision in my opinion.
@Padjo Mulk: absolutely, like what did he do wrong. Kenny can’t say it’s cos he’s not playing as his reason for demoting him to 5th choice at best, as he selected Arter for his squad and he isn’t getting a sniff of game time in the championship.
@Padjo Mulk: just heard the reason he wasn’t called up when Travers pulled out is cos he’s about to move clubs. Still doesn’t explain really why he wasn’t in the original squad though. I guess Kenny doesn’t see him in his plans.
@Seàn Mc: Harry Arter should be repatriated to the UK immediately! Your man earlier has the cheek to call Talbot a waste of a spot….. Pfffffffff don’t get me started
Come on you bohs in green
@Brian Dunne: very good keeper Brian, well deserved
@Paully Kel: nice to see the league recognised paul
Great news absolutely delighted for James !! Recognition for him and the league! Suuuuper keeeeper :) We are Bohs!!!!!
Absolute waste of a spot, Randolph should be there to provide experience and guidance to the two younger lads rather than the shear tokenism of this call up
@Patrick Daly: hypothetically speaking if he started and kept a clean sheet what then would you say Patrick…..? I think a waste of a spot is a harsh, maybe congratulations and well done to the lad would be better placed. I don’t think Stephen Kenny who is a lot more qualified than you makes token gestures and if he selected him believes he is good enough to be in the squad!
@Patrick Daly: hypothetically speaking if he started and kept a clean sheet what then would you say Patrick…..? I think a waste of a spot is a harsh, maybe congratulations and well done to the lad would be better placed. I don’t think Stephen Kenny who is a lot more qualified than you makes token gestures believes he is good enough to be in the squad!
The lad is never starting and let’s not get into ridiculous hypothetical scenarios , that’s just a waste of time. And if the manager believes that this lad is better than Randolph and can provide more to the overall squad then we have larger issues afoot than tokenism.
@Patrick Daly: in fairness Talbot is only 24 and has been on a steady upward curve, I don’t know if you’ve seen him play but he’s a good shot stopper, strong, tall, physically intimidating and a natural leader and presence in the goal. Are you saying Mick is wrong as well? Randolph no disrespect to him has been a brilliant servant to Ireland but is 34 and hasn’t played regular first team football for a number of years now, if we are to look to the future this lad wether you think is a waste of a spot or not is gonna be in the shake up for future squads too, this idea of having lads in for a good influence is garbage, we want goalkeepers starting week in week out and pushing each other competitively for the number 1 shirt, I think your being very dismissive of the tablets of James Talbot
See how good he is against portugal
@Robert Frazier: yea why not he’d be more be of a commanding presence than the other 2 lads let’s not forget he’s a quality young keeper in his own right
@John Kelly: how would he be a more commanding presence?!
@Aidan: because he’s physically bigger than bazunu and kelleher and in my opinion I think he’d be more of a commanding presence!
@Aidan: and because I’ve regularly seen him for the last 2 years at bohs and know how commanding he is…..