Colin O’Brien has hailed his young Ireland stars after they qualified for the World Cup in Qatar in November.
Ireland’s U17s beat Iceland 5-0 yesterday and while it wasn’t enough to reach the Euro finals, they have secured a World Cup spot for the first time in their history.
O’Brien’s charges nabbed one of the four best-placed runners-up spots at the World Cup, on offer through the Euro qualifier system.
Ireland, who also beat Poland and lost to Belgium in the Euro elite qualifying round, said: “We came here with the belief that we could qualify for the Euros.
“We knew there was a double prize at stake, and while we’re disappointed to not get to the European Championships, to reach a World Cup is an amazing achievement.
“It’s a great achievement for our country. We deserved to get to a World Cup and to get there is a reflection of the monumental effort from the players and staff.
“The players performed exceptionally and they were hurting that they didn’t win the game against Belgium. We beat Poland in Poland convincingly and put in a five-star performance against Iceland.”
From O’Brien’s 20-player squad, 16 either play with League of Ireland underage sides or have done so in the past.
“There are very good players up and down this country who work with exceptional coaches,” added O’Brien. “No matter the age group, the World Cup is a huge event that captures the imagination and attention of the public.”
Ireland Men’s Under-17 Squad
Goalkeepers: George Moloney (Southampton), Alex Noonan (Shamrock Rovers).
Defenders: Billy Canny (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Vincent Leonard (Dundalk), Oisin McDonagh (Venezia), Finn Sherlock (Hoffenheim), Ade Solanke (FC Lorient).
Midfielders: Rory Finneran (Newcastle United), Billy Hayes (St Patrick’s Athletic), Ramon Martos (UD Almeria), Gavin McAteer (Finn Harps), Kian McMahon Brown (Burnley), Grady McDonnell (Club Brugge), Oskar Skoubo Keely (Bohemians).
Forwards: Charles Akinrintayo (Shamrock Rovers), Brody Lee (Shamrock Rovers), Billy O’Neill (Bray Wanderers), Victor Ozhianvuna (Shamrock Rovers), Cillian Tollett (Galway United), Jaden Umeh (Benfica).
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