Homegrown talent takes centre stage in Ireland's Under-19 training camp squad
As the international football season begins to quiet down, the Irish Men’s Under-19s are getting started Credit: David Ribeiro (ETPhotos)
As the international football season begins to quiet down, the Irish Men’s Under-19s are getting started. Today, 30 players will join Head Coach Tom Mohan in Dublin for a three-day training camp at FAI HQ in Abbotstown.
They're set to face Albania, Slovenia, and Belgium this November in their UEFA Under-19 European Championship Qualifying Round, and preparation starts now.
In the squad, a diverse array of clubs is represented, both local and foreign, but it's the strength of homegrown talent that stands out.
Goalkeepers Theo Avery from Mansfield, Nathan Hunter of Dungannon Swifts, and Andrew Wogan of Drogheda United make up the netminders in the squad.
For the defenders, seven out of twelve hail from Irish clubs: Luke Brown and Lewis Temple from Shelbourne, James Crawford from Wexford, Jesse Dempsey and Luke O’Regan from UCD, Charlie O’Brien from Cobh Ramblers, and Luke O’Brien from St. Patrick’s Athletic.
They join fellow defenders Patrick Baranyai of Hercules, Christy Grogan of Stoke City, Cathal Heffernan of AC Milan, Liam McAlinney of Leicester City, and Ronnie McGrath of Leeds United.
Among the midfielders, the local presence is robust. Representing Irish clubs are James Byrne from St. Patrick’s Athletic, Cian Doyle and Billy Gilmore from Bohemians, Justin Ferizaj and Gideon Tetteh from Shamrock Rovers and Joe O'Brien-Whitmarsh from Cork City. They are joined by Jack Moorhouse from Manchester United and Sean Moore from Cliftonville.
The forward section of the squad includes Matthew Alonge and Jake Doyle from UCD, Joshua Fitzpatrick from Cork City, Gavin Hodgins from Shelbourne, and Eoin Kenny from Dundalk. Patrick Casey from Charlton Athletic and Caden McLaughlin from Villarreal round out the group.
Counting the representation, UCD and Shelbourne contribute four players each, while St. Patrick’s Athletic, Cork City, and Shamrock Rovers provide two players each. Dungannon Swifts, Drogheda United, Cobh Ramblers, Bohemians, Cliftonville, Wexford, and Dundalk each have one player in the squad.
This means a significant 19 of the 30-man squad come from domestic clubs with a further two players plying their trade in clubs from Northern Ireland.
