Irish U21 manager Noel King has named a 19-man squad for the game against Kosovo later this month.
Ireland will begin their bid to qualify for the 2019 Uefa U21 Championships in Italy and San Marino against the Kosovans at Tallaght Stadium on Saturday, 25 March with the game kicking off at 1pm.
Manchester United goalkeeper Kieran O’Hara who was on the bench for United’s Europa League game against Rostov last week will be hoping to win his first cap after being selected alongside Anderlecht stopper Liam Bossin.
Some of the other names of interest in King’s new-look squad are Liverpool defender Corey Whelan, U21 player of the year nominees Harry Charsley and Josh Cullen, and QPR duo Ryan Manning and Reece Grego Cox.
Ethan Boyle of Finn Harps and Derry City’s Ronan Curtis represent the SSE Airtricity League.
In addition to the Republic of Ireland and Kosovo, Group 5 is completed by Germany, Israel, Norway and Azerbaijan. The nine group winners advance to the finals, with the four best runners-up entering a play-off to decide the final two spots in the tournament alongside the Italians.
Goalkeepers
Kieran O’Hara (Manchester United)
Liam Bossin (Anderlecht)
Defenders
Danny Kane (Huddersfield Town)
Ryan Sweeney (Stoke City — on loan at Bristol Rovers)
Shaun Donnellan (West Bromwich Albion)
Corey Whelan (Liverpool)
Connor O’Grady (Sheffield Wednesday)
Midfielders
Liam Kinsella (Walsall)
Rory Hale (Aston Villa)
Josh Cullen (West Ham United — on loan at Bradford)
Harry Charsley (Everton)
Ryan Manning (Queens Park Rangers)
Ethan Boyle (Finn Harps)
Connor Dimaio (Chesterfield)
Olamide Shodipo (Queens Park Rangers — on loan to Port Vale)
Forwards
Ronan Curtis (Derry City)
Reece Grego Cox (Queens Park Rangers)
Jake Mulraney (Inverness CT)
Joe Quigley (Bournemouth — on loan at Gillingham)
