Hodge and Moran return to Ireland U21s for San Marino qualifier

JOE HODGE AND Andrew Moran have both been named in the Ireland U21 squad for next week’s European Championship qualifier in San Marino.

Team captain Hodge has only featured in one of Ireland’s five qualifiers to date, having missed the September and November international windows through injury, while Moran’s senior call-up for Stephen Kenny’s final games meant he missed the crunch double-header against Norway and Italy.

Both will join Jim Crawford’s squad for the trip to San Marino on Friday 22 March before linking up with John O’Shea’s senior squad for the friendly against Switzerland.

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Crawford has also handed first call-ups to four players: Newcastle United’s Alex Murphy, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Mark O’Mahony, Drogheda United’s Andrew Wogan and Bradford City’s Calum Kavanagh.

With Crawford’s regular backroom duo of Rene Gilmartin and Martin Doyle involved on O’Shea’s interim staff, Chelsea assistant goalkeeper coach James Russell and Swindon Town first-team coach Liam McCartan have joined the U21 set-up.

Ireland currently sit second in Group A, a point behind leaders Italy in the race for the sole automatic qualification place.

Kick-off at the San Marino Stadium is 5pm Irish time.

Ireland U21 Squad

Goalkeepers: Tiernan Brooks (Rochdale, on loan from Notts County), Josh Keeley (Barnet, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Andrew Wogan (Drogheda United)

Defenders: Tayo Adaramola (RWD Molenbeek, on loan from Crystal Palace), Sam Curtis (Sheffield United), Anselmo Garcia MacNulty (PEC Zwolle), Sean Grehan (Carlisle United, on loan from Crystal Palace), Bosun Lawal (Fleetwood Town, on loan from Celtic), Alex Murphy (Newcastle United), Connor O’Riordan (Blackburn Rovers), Sean Roughan (Lincoln City)

Midfielders: Baba Adeeko (Wigan Athletic), Zak Gilsenan (Blackburn Rovers), Matt Healy (Royal Francs Borains), Joe Hodge (Queen’s Park Rangers, on loan from Wolves), Andrew Moran (Blackburn Rovers), Killian Phillips (Aberdeen, on loan from Crystal Palace), Rocco Vata (Celtic)

Forwards: Sinclair Armstrong (Queen’s Park Rangers), Calum Kavanagh (Bradford City, on loan from Middlesbrough), Mark O’Mahony (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ollie O’Neill (Leyton Orient), Armstrong Oko-Flex (FC Zürich), Tony Springett (Northampton Town, on loan from Norwich City)