This doesn’t look good…
Ireland U21 head coach Noel King has announced a 23-man squad for two friendly games against the USA and Russia in Marbella later this month and Jack Grealish is not included.
King spoke to the player’s father ahead of naming his squad and explained why the Aston Villa youngster has been left out.
“I spoke to Jack’s dad. He feels he wants to concentrate on his Aston Villa career. That’s his choice and I accept it so I’ll be focusing on working with the players we have with us. We have a lot of work to do,”
The youngster was expected to be named in Martin O’Neill’s senior squad for the upcoming games with Scotland and USA and now his absence from the under 21s casts a doubt over his international future with Ireland.
The squad in full is as follows:
Ian Lawlor (Manchester City), Danny Rogers (Aberdeen – on loan at Dumbarton), Sean Long (Reading), Shane Griffin (Reading), Pierce Sweeney (Reading), Thomas Hoban (Watford), Brian Lenihan (Hull City), Mason Watkins-Clark (Stoke City), Eoghan O’Connell (Celtic), Sean Kavanagh (Fulham), Jack Connors (Dagenham & Redbridge), Glen Rea (Brighton & Hove Albion), Sean Hoare (St Patrick’s Athletic), Lee Desmond (Shelbourne), Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers – on loan at Burton Albion), William Hayhurst (Preston North End), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Jack Byrne (Manchester City), Kieran Sadlier (West Ham Utd – on-loan at Brighton), Kenneth McEvoy (Tottenham – on-loan at Peterborough), Sam Byrne (Everton), Connor Wilkinson (Bolton Wanderers), Matthew Hamilton (Wigan Athletic).
Congrats to League of Ireland players Sean Hoare and Lee Desmond for their call-up.
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