LAST UPDATE | 8 Mar 2023
BLACKBURN ROVERS STAR Sam Szmodics is in contention for an Ireland call-up after receiving international clearance, according to the Lancashire Telegraph.
The 27-year-old attacking midfielder was born in Colchester, England, but qualifies for Ireland through his late Longford-born grandmother.
Szmodics was first called up by Ireland when he was a Peterborough player in May 2021 but was then ruled out for matches against Andorra and Hungary with a shoulder injury.
Nearly two years on, he has yet to make his international debut, and the issue was understood to be due to paperwork delays in relation to securing an Irish passport, which he needs to play competitive games.
Consequently, he could potentially be selected for the upcoming friendly with Latvia (22 March) and the European Championships qualifier against France (27 March).
Szmodics initially struggled to recapture his impressive Peterborough form after joining Blackburn last August, but has improved recently, scoring five goals from 30 appearances in all competitions for the promotion hopefuls, including two in his last three games, one of which was during their FA Cup upset win against Premier League outfit Leicester City.
Meanwhile, Celtic winger Mikey Johnston has also got the green light to play for Ireland.
Johnston has received his Fifa international clearance, with the FAI announcing the development this morning.
Currently on loan at Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes, Johnston has now completed the eligibility process. As with Szmodics, he is available for selection ahead of Ireland’s upcoming games.
The Glasgow-born player qualifies for the Boys in Green through his grandfather who was from Derry.
The 23-year-old made his first-team debut in 2017 and has since gone on to win the Scottish Premiership three times, as well as two Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups.
Johnston also has extensive European competition experience in the Uefa Champions League and Europa League. He has made 20 appearances in all competitions this year for Vitoria, scoring three goals and providing three assists.
“I’m delighted to declare for the Republic of Ireland and excited for what my future holds in an Ireland shirt,” said Mikey Johnston.
“Myself and my family have always been proud of our Irish roots with my grandad hailing from Derry and to potentially now play for Ireland is something that really excites me.
“It’s up to me now to impress the manager and to get selected to the squad but my focus now is to break into that squad and to make an impact for the team in a big year for the team.”
“Mikey is an exciting player, a great individual talent and we’re delighted to see him declare for the Republic of Ireland,” said Ireland manager Stephen Kenny.
Originally published at 11.49
