Irish Under-17 Football Team Gears Up for European Championship Showdown in Hungary
UEFA European U17 Championships beckons for the Irish side Credit: Al Robinson (ETPhotos)
Ireland's U17 Head Coach, Colin O'Brien, has announced his final squad for the upcoming UEFA European U17 Championships, which will take place next week in Hungary. The 20-strong squad features 18 players from the EA SPORTS LOI Academy, including Shamrock Rovers' Ade Solanke, who has received his first MU17s call-up.
Shamrock Rovers' Freddie Turley will captain the team, with Bohemians' Danny McGrath serving as vice-captain. Unfortunately, Derby County's Niall McAndrew and Liverpool's Trent Kone-Doherty will miss the tournament due to injuries.
The Irish U17 team is in Group A, alongside Poland, Wales, and host country Hungary. The opening match against Poland is scheduled for Wednesday, with subsequent games against Wales on May 20th and Hungary on May 23rd. All matches will be broadcast live on RTÉ.
Ireland's dramatic qualification for the tournament was secured by a last-minute goal from Bohemians' striker Nickson Okosun, which led to a 3-2 victory over Cyprus. Reflecting on the squad, Coach O'Brien stated, "The staff and I are really satisfied with the squad and each player is here on merit. All the players have had some international involvement this season which was a key factor for us during the selection."
In spite of missing Kone-Doherty and McAndrew due to injuries, O'Brien maintains a positive outlook on the team's prospects. He emphasized, "The European Championships is a great platform for player development and when you look at the senior team there are a number of players who have been involved at Under-17s finals. It stood them well and we hope this tournament does this same with this group."
The team features goalkeepers Joe Collins and Jason Healy; defenders Stanley Ashbee, Daniel Babb, Jake Grante, Kaylem Harnett, Cory O'Sullivan, and Ade Solanke; midfielders Romeo Akachukwu, Rhys Bartley, Luke Kehir, Matthew Moore, Danny McGrath, Taylor Mooney, and captain Freddie Turley; as well as forwards Mason Melia, Matthew Murray, Ike Orazi, goal-scoring hero Nickson Okosun, and Naj Razi.
The UEFA U17 European Championship fixtures and key dates are as follows (all times in Irish time):
May 17: Poland MU17 vs Ireland MU17, 3:30 pm
May 20: Ireland MU17 vs Wales MU17, 3:30 pm
May 23: Ireland MU17 vs Hungary MU17, 7:00 pm
May 27: Quarter Finals, TBA
May 30: Semi Finals/FIFA U17 World Cup Play-Off, TBA
June 2: Final, TBA
