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Hallgrimsson hits back at club manager over fitness of new Ireland star
Published 17:10 19 Mar 2026 GMT
Updated 17:10 19 Mar 2026 GMT
Homesport
Feisty from Heimir.
Heimir Hallgrimsson announced his Ireland squad earlier today, ahead of next week's World Cup play-off semi-final against Czechia.
There were four uncapped players named - Harvey Vale, James Abankwah, Bosun Lawal, Josh Keeley - with Lawal in with a good shot of getting a debut, following an injury to midfielder Josh Cullen.
However, Stoke City boss Mark Robins was not overly pleased with his call-up, as he believes that his star is not fit.
Prior to the squad being named Robins said: “We’ve got the international break coming up and it looks likely both will be called up. That’s not ideal for us, certainly in Bosun’s case. We’ve got to wait and see what happens now. I’d say he’s close, but he’s still not fit, and Bosun is a big, big man."
During Hallgrimsson's press conference, the Ireland gaffer went against what Robins stated, and implied that Lawal is in with a good chance of getting game time.
He said: "He is fit, I have had almost daily talks with him, he is fit, his numbers are good. He's ready to come and that's what matters to us, not what his coach thinks."
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