1. Dara O’Shea
The 21-year-old defender was consistently picked by Kenny during his stint as Ireland U21 boss. O’Shea’s cause will also be helped by the fact that he has established himself in the West Brom starting XI and looks likely to get game time in the Premier League over the course of the forthcoming campaign. His versatility is another bonus, with the Dubliner regularly deployed at full-back amid the Baggies’ promotion-winning campaign in the Championship.
2. Jayson Molumby
Molumby impressed on loan at Millwall from Brighton last season. The 21-year-old midfielder made 40 appearances in all competitions for the Championship side and looks to have the potential to go far both at club and international level. Moreover, the Waterford native was a favourite of Kenny in the U21 set-up, as he regularly captained the team.
3. Ryan Manning
The 24-year-old Galway native had a good season for QPR last term in the Championship, making 44 appearances in all competitions and scoring five goals. Manning is capable of playing across the midfield and has a potent left foot that can be very useful on set pieces. More recently, he has been playing at left-back — a position in which, Enda Stevens aside, Ireland don’t currently have an abundance of options. Manning’s team-mate at club level Conor Masterson will also be hoping to figure as part of Kenny’s plans. There is plenty of competition in the centre-back spots, but Masterson’s comfort on the ball will certainly work in his favour and suits the Irish coach’s preferred style of play.
4. Adam Idah
With regular starters in recent years like Shane Long and David McGoldrick now into their 30s, Kenny could do with a few younger attackers establishing themselves at international level. Michael Obafemi (20), Troy Parrott (18) and Aaron Connolly (20) have all made fleeting appearances for the Irish senior team, but Idah — who was used regularly by Kenny in the U21 set-up — has yet to make his debut. The 19-year-old Cork-born forward made good progress last year, featuring 16 times in all competitions for Norwich City. He should see more game time now that the Canaries are back in the Championship, while Kenny may feel he is also ready to make the step up for Ireland.
5. Kieran Sadlier
Sadlier is a player that Kenny knows well, given the time he spent in the League of Ireland with Sligo and Cork between 2016 and 2018. The 25-year-old impressed for Doncaster last season and was singled out for praise by previous Ireland boss Mick McCarthy. Since then, the attacking midfielder has continued to stand out and recently earned a move to Championship club Rotherham United on the back of an eye-catching season and a half in League One.
