O'Neill announces final 23 man Euro squad

Martin O'Neill has finally named his Ireland squad for Euro 2016 and captain Robbie Keane as well as James McCarthy have both been included despite late injury concerns.

Robbie Keane and James McCarthy have both made the Irish squad despite their injury worries while David McGoldrick and Darron Gibson miss out. There was some worry for Keane as he sat out training on Monday after injuring himself during a training session behind closed doors on Saturday morning while McCarthy is still training by himself trying to regain full fitness.

McGoldrick has looked good when he has pulled on the Green shirt but perhaps his injuries this season that have limited his playing time have ultimately played against him on this occasion. A similar situation for Darron Gibson who has played very little football over the past couple of seasons and one does wonder if Gibson had forced a move for himself in January out on loan for first team football whether that would have persuaded O'Neill to bring him.

O'Neill was undeterred by McGeady's club form and has included him in the final 23. The Irish boss had praised McGeady for forcing a January move from Everton in pursuit of first team football but that hasn't exactly gone to plan. McGeady wasn't included in Sheffield Wednesday's match day squad for the play-off final against Hull City last Saturday but his inclusion in the Euros squad isn't a huge surprise given the way O'Neill has spoken about the tricky winger in the past and the trust O'Neill has placed in him since they were at Celtic together.

Perhaps surprisingly, Kieran Westwood has made the cut ahead of David Forde. Westwood has been in fine club form this season for Sheffield Wednesday and had been the only Irish goalkeeper included in the provisional squad that has played consistently. However, many felt that Westwood's numerous withdrawals from recent squads and Forde's good form for Ireland when he has been called upon would mean that it would be the Millwall stopper that would be flying to France with the squad when they depart early next week.

Harry Arter seemed like a player nailed on to go to France following his man of the match display against Holland, but he picked up an injury during training at Turners Cross on Monday night and O'Neill sent him home from the squad earlier on today.

The 5 players omitted from the 23 man panel are Darron Gibson, David Forde, David McGoldrick, Harry Arter, Eunan O'Kane and Callum O' Dowda

Republic Of Ireland Squad in Full:

Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph, Shay Given, Keiren Westwood.

Defenders: Seamus Coleman, Cyrus Christie, John O’Shea, Ciaran Clark, Shane Duffy, Richard Keogh, Robbie Brady, Stephen Ward.

Midfielders: Glenn Whelan, James McCarthy, Jeff Hendrick, Wes Hoolahan, James McClean, Aiden McGeady, Stephen Quinn, David Meyler.

Forwards: Shane Long, Jon Walters, Daryl Murphy, Robbie Keane.