“I have just been talking to myself,” smiled John O’Shea, the interim Republic of Ireland manager when asked if the incoming head coach has been in touch.
“There has been no input from anyone like that. My full focus has just been on picking the squad and looking forward to a big challenge against Belgium and Switzerland and whatever happens happens. It’s been straightforward for me, fully focused on the two games.”
The FAI director of football Marc Canham will unveil the new appointment in early April.
Meanwhile, O’Shea has included Sammie Szmodics in his squad while Joe Hodge and Andy Moran, the current Ireland under-21 co-captains, will join the senior group ahead of the Swiss game after Jim Crawford’s team play San Marino on Friday week.
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Szmodics is the leading scorer in the EFL Championship with 21 goals for Blackburn Rovers this season, and 27 across all competitions, so the 28-year-old is expected to win his first cap against Belgium on March 23rd.
“It was very straightforward,” said O’Shea at Thursday’s press conference in Abbotstown. “Obviously one of the first games I went to watch was Blackburn versus Millwall and Michael Obafemi was playing as well.”
The former Manchester United defender dispelled concerns about Szmodics not wanting to play for Ireland or declaring for Hungary, where his grandfather was born.
“Any of the conversations I had with Sammie were all straight forward. He is buzzing. He’s delighted to be coming in and it’s great to have a player like him in such good form consistently all season. He has got that versatility in terms of where he’s playing at the minute. He’s floating from a striker into a 10 position too. It’s great to have an option like that to bring into the squad.”
Uncapped pair, Middlesbrough midfielder Finn Azaz and Lyon’s Jake O’Brien, are promoted to the senior panel for the first time.
Azaz has excelled in the Championship this season, scoring nine goals from midfield for Plymouth and Middlesbrough, who he joined in January. His previous cap for Ireland came at under-21 against Israel in 2022, a country he could also represent.
“Finn is a creative, technical option for us going forward. I spoke to Michael [Carrick, the Boro manager and a former United team-mate of O’Shea] about him as well and he’s really enjoying working with him. I think he’ll add something different to the squad definitely.
“Jake is another player I have worked with at the under-21s. It’s been brilliant to see what he has done in the last year to 18 months. Going out to Europe to learn his trade, leaving Crystal Palace going to Lyon and establishing himself in a top-flight league. It’s been brilliant to see.
“He’ll have lots of competition but it’s great for us, and me being part of the defensive camp shall we say, that we can help him improve even further over the two games coming up.”
Irish captain Séamus Coleman and veteran winger Robbie Brady make welcome returns while Troy Parrott shook off an injury to be chosen as one of six forwards.
“I know what it means to Séamus to play for Ireland,” O’Shea continued. “In terms of the squad I wanted a good mix of that experience and new players coming in too. There was never any doubt of Séamus’s commitment that’s for sure.”
Brady’s recall is partly down to Ryan Manning’s injury and a lack of game time at club level for the other left-back options, Callum O’Dowda and Matt Doherty, but the Dubliner is only coming off the bench at Preston North End.
“I know he is a brilliant character too, but first and foremost it is about his footballing ability. He is fit and well and hopefully he gets some game time at the weekend and we’ll see what happens from there. But as I mentioned, Robbie can play left wing back, left back, he can play in midfield, there is good versatility to him too, so it’s great to have him back in.”
Evan Ferguson will lead the line for Ireland but O’Shea is tasked with finding a role for Szmodics alongside in-form wingers Chiedozie Ogbene and Mikey Johnston.
Tom Cannon is unavailable for international duty, seemingly for Ireland and England, with O’Shea recently speaking to the Leicester City striker.
“Look, Tom is concentrating on his club stuff. It’s as simple as that. That was it.”
Alan Browne and the uncapped Leicester winger Kasey McAteer are also injured
The Red Devils come to Dublin without Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
“Kevin’s been playing with a minor groin issue during the last games,” said Domenico Tedesco, the Belgium manager. “Yesterday I spoke to the doctor and Kevin and we decided that the risk is too big. It’s better to give him time to recover well at City and then have him ready for the Euros.”
Courtois will miss the Euros in Germany this summer as he is recovering from knee surgery but Tedesco has named a strong squad with Romelu Lukaku joined in attack by Loïs Openda, who has 17 goals for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga and another four in the Champions League.
Everton midfielder Amadou Onana and Manchester City winger Jérémy Doku are also selected.
Swiss manager Murat Yakin has called in Granit Xhaka of Bayer Leverkusen, AC Milan striker Noah Okafor and Man City defender Manuel Akanji.
“Under interim coach John O’Shea, we expect a team with a British style, whose style of play will be not dissimilar to that of our European Championship opponents Scotland,” said Yakin.
Ireland squad
Goalkeepers: Gavin Bazunu (Southampton), Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (Bournemouth)
Defenders: Séamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Wolves), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Andrew Omobamidele (Nottingham Forest), Dara O’Shea (Burnley), Liam Scales (Celtic), Jake O’Brien (Lyon), Robbie Brady (Preston North End), Festy Ebosele (Udinese).
Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Will Smallbone (Southampton). Jamie McGrath (Aberdeen), Callum O’Dowda (Cardiff City), Mark Sykes (Bristol City), Finn Azaz (Middlesbrough), Mikey Johnston (West Brom).
Forwards: Evan Ferguson (Brighton), Adam Idah (Celtic), Michael Obafemi (Millwall, on loan from Burnley), Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers), Chiedozie Ogbene (Luton Town), Troy Parrott (Excelsior, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur).
Fixtures
March 23rd: Ireland v Belgium, Aviva Stadium, 5pm
March 26th: Ireland v Switzerland, Aviva Stadium, 7.45pm
Ireland U21 squad
Goalkeepers: Tiernan Brooks (Rochdale, on loan from Notts County), Josh Keeley (Barnet, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Andrew Wogan (Drogheda United).
Defenders: Tayo Adaramola (RWD Molenbeek, on loan from Crystal Palace), Sam Curtis (Sheffield United), Anselmo Garcia MacNulty (PEC Zwolle), Seán Grehan (Carlisle United, on loan from Crystal Palace), Bosun Lawal (Fleetwood Town, on loan from Celtic), Alex Murphy (Newcastle United), Connor O’Riordan (Blackburn Rovers), Seán Roughan (Lincoln City).
Midfielders: Baba Adeeko (Wigan Athletic), Zak Gilsenan (Blackburn Rovers), Matt Healy (Royal Francs Borains), Joe Hodge (QPR, on loan from Wolves), Andrew Moran (Blackburn Rovers), Killian Phillips (Aberdeen, on loan from Crystal Palace), Rocco Vata (Celtic)
Forwards: Sinclair Armstrong (QPR), Calum Kavanagh (Bradford City, on loan from Middlesbrough), Mark O’Mahony (Brighton), Ollie O’Neill (Leyton Orient), Armstrong Oko-Flex (FC Zürich), Tony Springett (Northampton Town, on loan from Norwich City)
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