Shamrock Rovers midfielder Jack Byrne has been drafted into the Republic of Ireland squad for the upcoming Euro 2020 Qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia.
A space in the squad became available after the withdrawal of Bristol City winger Callum O'Dowda due to injury. O'Dowda has been in fantastic form over the past few months, acting as a key figure in Bristol's promotion push. He adds to an injury list already containing Alan Browne and Ronan Curtis.
While his loss is disappointing, it is a fantastic opportunity for Byrne. The 22-year old is currently enjoying a fine debut season at Tallaght Stadium, producing this stunning strike in the win over Sligo on Friday night.
Here it is 🙌 @Jackb_8 strike to make it 3-0 tonight.
Pick. It. Out. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nIxNBMyIYw— Shamrock Rovers FC ☘️ (@ShamrockRovers) March 16, 2019
McCarthy was on hand to see that goal, and was thoroughly impressed by Byrne's display. Before the call-up was confirmed, he spoke to the FAI website about the midfielder:
Jack was the star of the show in Tallaght. He was the best player by a distance in a good team performance by Rovers and his goal was the icing on the cake.
I was impressed with his vision, his range of passing and his passion. Robbie has trained with Jack with the senior team before and speaks highly of him so I wasn’t surprised by his contribution.
He will definitely come into consideration for the squad in the near future. Well done to him.
Byrne was considered one of the brightest prospects in Irish football during his time at Manchester City, but his star had faded in recent years. He is most certainly on the up again, however, and hopefully becoming involved in the international setup will be the first step to fulfilling his vast potential.
