Latest news with #WorldCupQualifying
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Dykes tips Leonard for Scotland call-up
Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes reckons his Birmingham City team-mate Marc Leonard could soon be pushing for a place in Steve Clarke's squad. (Scottish Sun), externalManager Brian Riemer insists he will accept no excuses if Denmark don't beat Scotland in their World Cup qualifying opening game and go on to win the group because they are better than Steve Clarke's side. (The Herald, external - subscription required)Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Players' club successes can help NI careers
Northern Ireland first team coach Steven Davis says recent successes enjoyed by members of Michael O'Neill's squad at club level should help their progression in the international game.A number of players were part of crucial occasions for their teams in recent weeks ahead of Northern Ireland's forthcoming friendlies away to Denmark on 7 June and home to Iceland on 10 June."You just have to look at some of the individual seasons the players have had, obviously Conor [Bradley] winning the Premier League [with Liverpool], Justin Devenny winning the FA Cup [with Crystal Palace] and Trai Hume and Dan Ballard being promoted to the Premier League with Sunderland," said Davis in an interview with BBC Sport NI."It's vital that the players continue to progress at their clubs and that's what they're doing, they just have to continue to develop. "Ultimately they come in better placed into the international set-up if that's the case."The 140-times capped international reflected that there had been "a lot of progression within the group over the last 12 or 18 months" with a series of positive results and the team topping their Nations League upcoming friendly double-header will act as preparation for the start of World Cup qualifying in September."These games are vital because the time you get with the players is so limited in international football so whenever you do get together it's important you maximise that time, reinforce your ideas and add layers to them. "The level of opposition in the two games will test us too."We're coming up against stiff opposition [in World Cup qualifying] in Germany, Slovakia and Luxembourg, it's a difficult group but these two games coming up are great preparation for us." 'Seeing a different side of O'Neill' Davis says he is enjoying working under O'Neill as part of his backroom team."He's demanding, which he should be and you have to be. He's very detailed. I thought that as a player too. "Obviously you get to see a little bit of a different side as part of the coaching staff and we spend a lot of time together analysing things."He's very open to our opinions as coaching staff, which is great for me, you can give your opinions, and ultimately he makes the decisions."The former Rangers midfielder is currently working towards his Uefa Pro Licence qualification and explains that he harbours ambitions of being a manager one day."You only get it [coaching ability] by getting experience, by being in and around it. That's the best learning curve you can get - real life situations, and more time on the grass as well. That's how you develop."We'll see where it takes us. I do eventually have ambitions to be a manager but at this moment in time it's important I continue to learn."
The Guardian
5 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
‘Forget what you've done': Bellamy wants Wales players to switch focus to World Cup
Craig Bellamy has said his Wales players must reset and focus on a the World Cup qualifying double-header regardless of whether they finished the season 'on a trampoline or with a ball around their neck'. Brennan Johnson and Ben Davies won the Europa League with Tottenham, while Bellamy's squad for matches against Liechtenstein and Belgium also includes a quartet of Leeds players in Karl Darlow, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon and Daniel James, who recently celebrated promotion to the Premier League. Connor Roberts was also promoted with Burnley, but Bellamy is mindful other players experienced disappointment. The Wales manager said: 'It's a positive [to have winners in the squad]. But when I was at a club, anyone who went away for international football and came back it was: 'Forget about what you've just done. Focus on what we're doing here. Every meeting, every part of football you thought you'd just learned there, forget about it. Get back on track here.' 'It's the same here with international football. You'll have a moment where you can congratulate players and I love them being on a high. But I also have to be responsible for players that perhaps haven't had the season they would have expected. As well as your egos, everything else is forgotten, it's not going to serve you here. 'This is what we do, how we work.' 'You're in a different world, you need to be in our world and they always are. Whether they're coming in on a trampoline or with a ball round their neck, off we go.' Bellamy named a 27-man squad for the qualifiers on Wednesday, with the 18-year-old Cardiff City right-back Ronan Kpakio receiving his first call-up. There is no place for the 18-year-old Manchester United striker Luca Biancheri, who will join Canada's senior squad on Sunday. Biancheri, whose mother is Canadian and father is Italian, has been capped by Wales at Under-19 level and was part of Wales's recent training camp in Spain, but Bellamy had no plans to bring him into his latest squad. Wales are relaxed about the teenager's situation and are happy for him to gain further experience. Wales are without Joe Allen, who retired this month. The 35-year-old reversed his decision to retire from international duty last year, but has stepped away a second time. Wales were staring at a first defeat under Bellamy when Allen's wayward pass allowed North Macedonia to take a stoppage-time lead in Skopje in March until David Brooks's 96th-minute equaliser. 'I knew he was going to retire,' Bellamy said. 'When we conceded, it was like: 'There's no way this is going to be his last touch for us.' Even if I would delay it after we play this one in June, you are not finishing that way.'' Bellamy, who had two spells at Liverpool as a player, said he was shaken by the incident at their title parade on Monday that left 65 people injured. 'It's heartbreaking to go to what should be an incredible moment, the most successful club in England with 20 titles, which was so important,' he said. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'I am a Liverpool fan and to see that happen was incredible. I'm probably like everyone else, I'm still trying to absorb it. Maybe I will in the next few weeks, but it is still quite raw for me.'
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Pompey keeper Schmid gets Austria call-up
Portsmouth goalkeeper Nicholas Schmid has received his first international call-up for Austria ahead of their World Cup qualifying 28-year-old has made 35 Championship appearances for Pompey since joining from Austrian side BW Linz in August 2024, keeping eight clean side will face Romania on 7 June before heading to San Marino the following Terry Devlin has also been selected for international duty, linking up with Northern Ireland for their upcoming friendlies against Denmark and Iceland.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Four uncapped players in Republic of Ireland squad
Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson has called up four uncapped players for next month's friendlies against Senegal and Luxembourg. Reims midfielder John Joe Patrick Finn, Leyton Orient goalkeeper Josh Keeley, on-loan St Mirren midfielder Killian Phillips and Shamrock Rovers defender Josh Honohan have all been included in the 24-man squad. Captain Seamus Coleman returns to the squad having missed the team's past seven matches, while Leicester winger Kasey McAteer, Ipswich attacker Sammie Szmodics and Strasbourg defender Andrew Omobamidele are also Football Association of Ireland (FAI)'s squad bulletin confirmed Hallgrimsson has left out the majority of his squad's Championship-based players "to aid rest and recovery in their off-season".The Republic of Ireland welcome Senegal to Dublin's Aviva Stadium on 6 June before an away game against Luxembourg four days later (both 19:45 BST). Hallgrimsson's side then begin their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign in September with games against Hungary and Armenia. Republic of Ireland squad Goalkeepers: Caoimhn Kelleher (Liverpool), Max O'Leary (Bristol City), Josh Keeley (Leyton Orient, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)Defenders: Seamus 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 North End)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)
