WITH MAXIMUM POINTS from their opening two Uefa U21 Championship qualifiers, Ireland kick off a double-header at Waterford United’s RSC this evening (5.45pm).
Lithuania are the tonight’s opponents before the Boys in Green make a trip to Vicenza to take on Italy on Tuesday.
Having watched his side record back-to-back victories over Andorra (1-0 and 2-0), Noel King says he has been satisfied with performances thus far.
“It has been good,” King told The42. “We haven’t conceded in the two games, which will help to build momentum and a spirit in the group.
“The important thing now is Lithuania and the challenge is to see if we can make it three wins on the trot.”
A lengthy injury list includes the likes of captain Tommie Hoban (Watford), Brian Lenihan (Hull City), Ian Lawlor (Man City), Sam Byrne (Everton), Reece Grego-Cox QPR) and Lee Desmond (St Patrick’s Athletic), while Kenneth McEvoy (Tottenham, on loan at Stevenage), Harry Charsley (Everton) and Sean Hoare (St Patrick’s Athletic) have been drafted in.
“You will always get a few injuries and withdrawals,” said King. “That’s the nature of international football but you just get on with it and not let it interfere with your preparations.
“The lads here are anxious to keep going and get a bit of success. I’m not too bothered about that (those missing). I’m more concerned about the people who are here and those who can affect the result.”
Rs striker Grego-Cox and West Ham midfielder Josh Cullen made their competitive debuts at this level last month and both impressed — with Cullen scoring one and setting up another.
“They have done great,” added King. “They are younger boys who have been doing well at their clubs and both of them have experience playing first team football at QPR and West Ham respectively.
“That has created a bit of an impact and a buzz. So it’s good news for us.”
One player who has made a welcome return to the squad is Jack Byrne.
The promising Manchester City midfielder, on loan at SC Cambuur in Holland for the season, picked up an ankle injury during pre-season but has since regained his fitness and featured in the Eredivisie and the Dutch Cup in recent weeks.
“It’s a new experience for him,” says King. “I think he has got three games under his belt since returning from injury.
“He’s playing with big men, it’s a good standard league and it can only enhance him. It will certainly be a challenge.”
And Byrne himself believes the experience will stand to him.
“It’s different as I’m out of my comfort zone now,” Byrne told the FAI. “I got over my injury, but there was nothing I could really do about that as I got a bit of a bad tackle. These things happen in football but I’m enjoying it.
I played PSV Eindhoven the other week and that was a great experience, especially as I had my family there in the stands.
“It is all coming together nicely and hopefully I go back to Man City a better player at the end of the year.
“They look at things and approach things completely differently to Ireland and England.”
As well as the Italians, Ireland will be battling it out with Serbia and Slovenia (both on six points) for one of two qualification spots at next year’s finals in Poland.
They are undoubtedly up against it as only the best four runners-up advance to a play-off, but Byrne says he and his team-mates are planning to upset the odds.
“First of all, we want to go and win on Friday and play well,” said Byrne. “Then we can go into the Italy game full of confidence. They are the nations we want to be testing ourselves against.
“We got two good results against Andorra but people would have been expecting us to beat them. So we’re looking to go and beat Lithuania.
People probably don’t give young Irish players enough credit but we’ve got some talent coming through. Hopefully they will come down on Friday and have a look at that.
“I love coming to play with this squad because we have got some great players. Some are playing first team football and others are still in reserve teams but that is tough in itself.
“Hopefully we can do well in this campaign and prove some people wrong.”
Of Ireland’s current senior squad, just four players — Cyrus Christie (23), Robbie Brady (23), James McCarthy (24) and Jeff Hendrick (23) — are under the age of 25.
There are major concerns that the next crop of players aren’t ready to make the step up, but King remains hopeful that a couple will be able to hold their own when called upon by Martin O’Neill.
“That’s the job of the U21s, to try and get the players ready for the first team,” said King. “It has happened with McCarthy, Brady, Hendrick and many others.
“If you are producing two or three that go on to the senior team every year well then that is good news. So we have to try and provide as many players as we can.”
IRELAND U21 SQUAD:
Daniel Rogers (Aberdeen – on-loan at Falkirk)
Eric Grimes (Leeds United)
Jack Connors (Dagenham & Redbridge)
Sean Kavanagh (Fulham)
Sean Long (Reading)
Sean Hoare (St Patrick’s Athletic)
Glen Rea (Brighton – on-loan at Southend)
Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers)
Joshua Cullen (West Ham United)
Alan Browne (Preston North End)
Harry Charsley (Everton)
Callum O’Dowda (Oxford United)
Shane Griffin (Reading)
Jack Byrne (Man City – on-loan at SC Cambuur)
Kenny McEvoy (Tottenham – on-loan at Stevenage)
Sean Maguire (Dundalk)
Dylan Connolly (Ipswich Town)
Conor Wilkinson (Barnsley)
