Ireland boss is given little option but to experiment

Extra.ie​

15-05-2025

Once his initial plan to have two friendly games in May, as well as the double-bill in June, was scuppered, Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson's hands were tied when it came to this selection.
He always wanted to leave the bulk of Championship players out of the games against Senegal and Luxembourg, as it will be a month since the season had ended for most of them and he sees little value in interrupting their end-of-term break.
So, the likes of Josh Cullen, Jimmy Dunne, Callum O'Dowda, Jayson Molumby and Finn Azaz were told to enjoy an extended break and to make sure they are flying for the start of the World Cup qualifiers in September. Even without the vast majority of Championship players, it's still an interesting squad selection.
The sense was that Séamus Coleman was edging towards retirement, given how rarely he has featured for Everton this season, but Hallgrímsson insists that the veteran is very much in his plans for the upcoming campaign. Josh Honohan of Shamrock Rovers. Pic: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
Josh Honohan is the uncapped player that stands out the most, as the Shamrock Rovers defender is called up after the Ireland boss had met Stephen Bradley for a coffee to clear the air. However, Honohan, a star in the Hoops' Europa Conference League run, can also offer Ireland something different.
'One of his biggest attributes is he is a versatile player, he can play on the left and the right so he gives flexibility in in-game changes. That's one of his biggest advantages. We want to see him in our environment with these players which in mostly Premier League players,' the Ireland manager explained.
That's also part of the reason that Leyton Orient's young goalkeeper Josh Keeley is in the squad. It will give them a chance to assess how he works with Caoimhín Kelleher and Max O'Leary while also giving goalkeeping coach Gudmundur Hreidarsson an opportunity to work with him.
Killian Phillips and John Joe Patrick Finn are the two most intriguing additions, as they are both midfielders, a part of the pitch where Ireland's talent pool remains shallow. The five midfielders picked — Jason Knight, Will Smallbone, Jack Taylor and the aforementioned pair — seems to underline the lack of options in the centre of the park. Leyton Orient's young goalkeeper Josh Keeley. Pic: MI News/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock
Hallgrímsson referenced Finn's size at yesterday's press conference and both he and Phillips, who is doing well on loan at St Mirren, are tall, mobile players that Ireland seem to have been lacking in midfield recently.
Andrew Omobamidele is rewarded for some fine performances for Strasbourg in Ligue 1 with a recall while winger Festy Ebosele, recently returned from injury for Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir, is likely to be given a chance to impress Hallgrímsson. While there are very few Championship players in the squad, there are some who will be playing in England's second tier next season, such as Southampton pair Smallbone and Ryan Manning, Ipswich's duo of Dara O'Shea and Sammie Szmodics and Leicester City winger Kasey McAteer, who has been decent for the Foxes recently.
The manager said that relegation will affect the morale of players in different ways. 'We can't talk about it in general, it's individual. Some players might take it in, others not. For example, Dara has played every game for Ipswich, played really well, a really consistent Premier League centre-back and right back on occasion. Ipswich going down shouldn't affect him. He's established himself as a good Premier League centre-back.' But it was telling that the squad included five players who suffered relegation, meaning Hallgrímsson will be a regular visitor to Championship grounds again come August, which makes the lack of those players in this squad a bold move.
GOALKEEPERS: Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Max O'Leary (Bristol City), Josh Keeley (Leyton Orient, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur).
DEFENDERS: Séamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Dara O'Shea (Ipswich Town), Jake O'Brien (Everton), Andrew Omobamidele (Strasbourg, on loan from Nottingham Forest), Liam Scales (Celtic), Robbie Brady (Preston NE), Josh Honohan (S Rovers).
MIDFIELDERS: Jason Knight (Bristol City), Killian Phillips (St Mirren, on loan from Crystal Palace), Will Smallbone (Southampton), Jack Taylor (Ipswich Town), John Joe Patrick Finn (Stade De Reims).
FORWARDS: Troy Parrott (AZ Alkmaar), Evan Ferguson (West Ham United, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), Adam Idah (Celtic), Sammie Szmodics (Ipswich Town), Kasey McAteer (Leicester City), Festy Ebosele (Istanbul Basaksehir), Ryan Manning (Southampton).
FIXTURE DETAILS: Rep of Ireland v Senegal, International Friendly, Friday, June 6, Aviva Stadium, Kick-off: 7.45pm. Luxembourg v Rep of Ireland, International Friendly, Tuesday, June 10, Stade De Luxembourg, Kick-off: 7.45pm (Irish Time)