IRELAND U21 MANAGER Noel King has named 19 players in his latest squad.
After Friday’s friendly against the Qatar U23s at Bury’s Gigg Lane (6pm), Ireland head to Andorra for their Uefa U21 Championships qualifier next Tuesday (4pm). They needed a goal by Ipswich Town winger Dylan Connolly to earn a 1-0 victory in the corresponding fixture back in March and King is hoping for an improvement this time around.
“The whole thing is to go to Andorra as well-prepared as possible,” he said. “We had lots of possession against them in Waterford but struggled to turn that into enough goal-scoring opportunities but since then they’ve beaten Lithuania so we know it’s not going to be an easy game in their place.
“We’ve a few injuries from the Waterford game too but the new players coming in means the competition is stiff and we are looking forward to these game.”
Included in the squad for the first time are West Ham’s Josh Cullen and Reece Grego-Cox of Queens Park Rangers. 19-year-old midfielder Cullen made his Premier League debut for the Hammers in their 3-0 win over Liverpool last weekend, while Rs striker Grego-Cox featured in the English top flight at the latter stages of last season.
“They are quite young but already they have both played Premier League football which is a great achievement for players that age,” King said of the pair. “They’ll get every chance and every support with us and hopefully it’ll all work out well for them at this level.”
Ireland U21s squad:
Daniel Rogers (Aberdeen – on loan Falkirk)
Eric Grimes (Leeds United)
Thomas Hoban (Watford)
Glen Rea (Brighton – on-loan at Southend)
Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers)
Shane Griffin (Reading)
Alan Browne (Preston North End)
Jack Connors (Dagenham)
Dylan Connolly (Ipswich Town)
Sean Kavanagh (Fulham)
Callum O’Dowda (Oxford United)
Reece Grego-Cox (QPR)
Brian Lenihan (Hull City)
Sean Long (Reading)
Conor Wilkinson (Barnsley)
Shamir Goodwin (Crawley Town)
Sean Maguire (Dundalk)
Sam Byrne (Everton)
Josh Cullen (West Ham)
Dare I say it, an Irishman in the Champions League? He fully deserves it. Great to see the likes of himself and McCarthy making progress with a strong team like Everton.
More than Premier League out there Guys , Anthony Stokes has started for Celtic this season in Champions League. GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT !
Thats true, but I meant “Irishman” as in someone who plays regularly for the Irish soccer team. I know Stokes is both eligible and has played a few games recently, but he hasn’t played a game for Ireland with anything at stake for years. It’s like that young Irish Man City keeper. He went to Plzen for their CL game there. I wouldn’t say he’s playing in the CL, just like, prior to two dead rubbers against Germany and Kazakhstan, Stokes didn’t feature for years.
Obviously lots of blinkered Premier League “Fans” on here , I just corrected a incorrect statement
Traps dropped him for no reason , FFS he setup wee James Forrest and Celtic in the Final Qualifier this season.
The great brainwashed EPL Brigade are out in force….
The facts are Anthony Stokes who has 8 Full Irish Caps 4 of which were won this season ,
Source http://www.fai.ie/international/senior-men/30-anthony-stokes.html
He has played 10 times this season in the Champions League , 5 qualifiers and 5 in CL Proper
Source http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2014/clubs/player=74715/
Just accept it …..
And when were the other 4? I didn’t suggest he is a poor player and from the performances he put in during the last four caps, he deserved to be in the squad. I meant “Irishman” as in regular Irish player, not 8 caps in just under 7 years, but I know I didn’t explicitly state that. As for EPLcentric comments, the article is about a Prem player. If I made the comment about McGeady, wojld that make me a Russian soccer snob. Pull your head out.
“Dare I say it, an Irishman in the Champions League? ” This is clearly a false untrue statement and you along with the other 131 who liked the comment are idiots for not accepting you were wrong
He’s clearly trying to back out of it by adding on that ridiculous explanation
Right, if a light humoured, albeit poorly explained remark is causing an arguement, I fully retract that statement. I shall replace it with “Dare I say it, an Irishman (that has played regularly for the past 15 months despite a bonkers manager and plays in the premier league, which is not an important factor but does make followers of the SPL a little annoyed when someone mentions it) playing in the champions league?” If any sarcasm or possible inferences are not clearly stated, please let me know.
Stokes is a stocking,very average player in a poor league……not good enough for the epl
Poor League Yeah , When is the last time a Premier League team have beaten Barcelona , Read it an weep – More Rubbish from EPL Barstool Fan
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/nov/07/celtic-barcelona-champions-league-report
Im not a fan of the epl to be honest,just have an interest in football,stokes not good enough for arsenal, fair enough,but couldnt cut it at Sunderland……I say again poor player in a poor league,and its not that long ago that Chelsea beat Barcelona if memory serves…..
Again with the EPL bashing! If you going to trash about irrelevant stats, when was the last time a Scottish team won the CL or made it to the semis for that matter? The very fact that there are four slots allocated to EPL teams and only two (or three, not certain) for the SPL is based on EPL teams being more successful in the tournament. But by virtue of defending the EPL, I am now going to be called a blinkered barstool fan?
Barstooler? Aren’t Irish fans that support celtic barstoolers???? If every muppet on here went n supported league of Ireland then scots league wud be same standard as ours. Same population as ours so no reason why not. Our country is only one in europe that is obsessed with foreign leagues, embarrassing . FACT
Delighted Coleman is finally getting recognition he deserves! He’s Ireland’s most consistent player and week in, week out in the Premier League he plays well! Am an Arsenal fan and Sagna has been brilliant for us, but if he goes this is a more than capable replacement if it happens!
Feck of I’m a blue and he’s staying!!!
Dare I say it but maybe not yet? To be a game changer in Everton or a utility player in arsenal ?
Fair point, its like everything I suppose its a gamble. Look at Steven Carr when he was at spurs, best full back in the league but never moved to the biggest club. Linked but nothing ever happened. What I will say about Coleman is that I think he’s got a mean streak in him, a bit of hardness about him that would make me think that if he did move he could step up the grade
No coincidence that this comes out the same weekend Arsenal play an inform Everton. Wenger has a habit of doing that
10 million is a bargain for Coleman. Should be at least 15-20 million.
As much as I’d like him to progress , I like the Irish connection that’s coming together at Everton
I would love to see him go right to the top,but look at how things have gone for Fellani at old trafford,moving to a big club,Not always a goodcareer move
Good point Gerard… but I think coleman a real gem.. fellaini not in the same class at all
As a united fan I’d love to get him… watched him with sligo and now with Everton and believe he can be the best to play for Ireland yet…what a talent
Future Irish captain!
Already captained us. Oops. Am I due an avalanche of red thumbs too?
He’s the type of player arsenal need, a defender with a bit of fight and not afraid to move forward. If Everton get champions league football I think e10m might not be enough to lure him to London.
Tough to know if this would be a good move for him; no doubt that training znd playing with ozil, ramsey and others would certainly improve him, but would he pay every game? If he spends half his time on bench would be better of at a good Everton team
If he had a name like Colemani or Colemanez I’d be more likely to believe it
Absolutely true ; anyway if Everton are able to resist Man Utd over Baines, they should be just as keen to keep Coleman from Arsenal. Coleman has far more importance for Everton than he would have for Arsenal.
Its only made up sunday paper drivel so i wouldnt pay attention to it
Great player
10 million?! Granted Baines is probably the most productive full back in the league but surely Coleman is worth 15 to 20 million, defensively sound and serious pace going forward
Coleman and Mccarthy are very good footballers, but they are now becoming so overrated by the Irish media.
MU could do with Coleman….Rafael is useless!!!!