TOM MOHAN’S IRELAND U17 side will face near neighbours England at this summer’s Uefa European Championships after the draw was made this morning.
The Boys in Green qualified for the tournament last week after a dramatic final day of the Elite Qualifying Phase and have been rewarded with show-piece ties against defending champions England, two-time winners Netherlands and Italy in Group D.
“There’s no doubting that this is going to be a very tough group but we knew when we qualified that we’d be mixing with top quality teams no matter who you are in with,” Mohan said.
“However our players have done brilliantly for us this year and I am confident that they can prove ourselves against the best teams in Europe.”
The tournament takes place in Bulgaria and runs from 6-22 May with the venues and times to be confirmed by Uefa in due course.
The top two teams from each of the four groups progress to the quarter-finals with the competition also acting as a qualifier for the U17 World Cup which also takes place later this year.
There are six berths up for grabs with the four semi-finalists and the winners of two play-offs securing their place in Chile.
It will be Ireland’s second appearance at the European Championships after featuring in the 2008 edition in France. Sean McCaffrey’s side, which included Robbie Brady, lost all three of their group games.
Uefa U17 European Championship draw:
Group A: Bulgaria (hosts), Croatia, Spain, Austria
Group B: Czech Republic, Slovenia, Belgium, Germany
Group C: Greece, Russia, Scotland, France
Group D: Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Italy, England (holders)
