football
Share icon

Share

There’s just one new face in the Ireland squad for the games with Gibraltar and Georgia

Published 15:44 18 Aug 2015 BST

Updated 15:51 18 Aug 2015 BST

Kevin McGillicuddy
There’s just one new face in the Ireland squad for the games with Gibraltar and Georgia

Homefootball

Surprise.

Let's get this over with early. Jack Grealish is not in the Ireland squad for the next two games in which we attempt to qualify for Euro 2016. The Aston Villa man is once again an absentee having asked Martin O'Neill for more time to see if he's called up by England consider his future, but at least there is one new face in the squad. Eunan O'Kane impressed during Bournemouth's 1-0 defeat on Monday night at Anfield, and today he's celebrating a first ever call-up to the Irish senior squad. Derry-born O'Kane represented Northern Ireland at underage level before making three appearances for the Republic of Ireland under-21s, the last of which came in 2012. Now he has a chance to add a senior cap. Martin O'Neill has named a provisional squad of 37, basically every player on earth who is eligible to play for Ireland (apart from Grealish and Stephen Ireland) for the double-header against Gibraltar and Georgia next month. Brentford’s Alan Judge and Aberdeen’s Adam Rooney are also included. Greg Cunningham is also back in the extended panel while the numbers are expected to be reduced before the end of the month. Somewhat unusually there are five goalkeepers also named in the squad, so we must be fearful of a barrage of shots coming in when we head to Faro, and then host Georgia at the Aviva next month. The squad in full is: Goalkeepers  David Forde Millwall Shay Given Stoke City Keiren Westwood Sheffield Wednesday Darren Randolph West Ham United Rob Elliot Newcastle United Defenders Richard Keogh Derby County Marc Wilson Stoke City Seamus Coleman Everton Cyrus Christie Derby County John O’Shea Sunderland Alex Pearce Derby County Ciaran Clark Aston Villa Paul McShane Reading Midfielders James McCarthy Everton Jeff Hendrick Derby County Stephen Ward Burnley Greg Cunningham Preston North End Harry Arter Bournemouth Glenn Whelan Stoke City Eunan O’Kane Bournemouth Aiden McGeady Everton James McClean West Bromwich Albion Alan Judge Brentford Robbie Brady Norwich City Anthony Pilkington Cardiff City Stephen Quinn Reading David Meyler Hull City Wes Hoolahan Norwich City Strikers Robbie Keane LA Galaxy Shane Long Southampton Daryl Murphy Ipswich Town Jon Walters Stoke City Kevin Doyle Colorado Rapids Anthony Stokes Celtic FC David McGoldrick Ipswich Town Adam Rooney Aberdeen Simon Cox Reading
There’s just one new face in the Ireland squad for the games with Gibraltar and Georgia