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The Best Uncapped Republic Of Ireland XI Chosen From Current Players

The Best Uncapped Republic Of Ireland XI Chosen From Current Players
Gary Connaughton
By Gary Connaughton
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Stephen Kenny has brought a huge number of new faces into the Ireland squad over the last three years, and while he has now established a fairly settled squad, it is likely that we will continue to see some emerging talents integrated into the setup.

There are quite a few youngsters coming through at the moment who could make a contribution at senior level in the years ahead, even if they are yet to receive an international cap.

Here is a team of promising players that we could see earn their first Ireland caps in the near future.

Uncapped Republic of Ireland XI

GK: Brian Maher (Derry City)

Most of the goalkeepers in contention for Ireland selection have received a senior cap at some point over the last few years, meaning Maher is probably next in line. The Derry City man impressed with the U21 side in recent seasons and is a very talented goalkeeper.

Bohemians man James Talbot has been called up by Stephen Kenny to train with the squad on a couple of occasions, although he has probably fallen behind Maher in the League of Ireland pecking order at this point.

RB: Danny McNamara (Millwall)

If he played in another position, odds are that Danny McNamara would already have earned his first Ireland cap. The Millwall man has been in fantastic form over the last year or so, starting all but five of the club's Championship fixtures this season as they have made an unlikely promotion push.

While Matt Doherty and Seamus Coleman are well entrenched in the squad, it would be a surprise if the 24-year old were not called up over the next year or so. After all, he could well be a Premier League regular next season should the club go up via the play-offs.

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CB: Jimmy Dunne (QPR)

Jimmy Dunne is another player that consider himself with the amount of competition he faces in his position. The Louth native has come on in leaps and bounds since becoming a regular at QPR, and while the club struggled in recent months, he is still a very good defender.

He has time on his side, with the player having only turned 25-years old back in October.

CB: Luke McNally

Luke McNally has steadily developed into an incredibly reliable defender over the last couple of seasons. Having starred at St Pat's, he would spend only one season in League One before being picked up by Burnley last summer. While he found playing time at Turf Moor hard to come by in the first half of the campaign, he would join Coventry City on loan in January.

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He has been immense form since then, helping the club in their play-off push. Ireland have no shortage of options at centre back, but 23-year old McNally is certainly playing himself into consideration.

LB: Tayo Adaramola (Crystal Palace)

Left back is probably Ireland weakest position at the moment, with Stephen Kenny never really nailing down that place in the side since his appointment as manager.

Of those who are yet to be capped at senior level, Tayo Adaramola seems the most likely to make the breakthrough. He is very highly thought of at Crystal Palace, with the 19-year old having already made three appearances for the first team in cup competitions.

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He is sure to play a sizeable role for Jim Crawford's U21 side in the upcoming Euro qualifying campaign.

CM: Conor Coventry (Rotherham United, on loan from West Ham)

Conor Coventry has had somewhat of a strange career up to this point. He has always impressed when playing for Ireland, captaining the U21 side and being called up to the senior squad in recent times.

However, he has struggled to establish himself at club level. The midfielder has never really been given the opportunity to impress at West Ham, having mixed loan spells at Peterborough and MK Dons.

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Thankfully, he has impressed since joining Rotherham in January. With his contract up at West Ham at the end of the campaign, it would be fantastic to see him find a permanent home at a club that suits him. Should that happen, Ireland honours won't be too far away.

CM: Joe Hodge (Wolves)

Joe Hodge is another player that is surely on the cusp of a first senior international cap. Having overcome the injury issues that stalled his career for a couple of years, the 20-year old has massively impressed at Wolves. Having only moved to Molineux last summer, he has already been handed a new long-term contract and made a number of Premier League appearances.

The Manchester-born midfielder was recently named as captain of the Ireland U21s.

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CM: Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers)

Despite only recently become eligible to play for Ireland, it was a slight surprise to see that Sammie Szmodics had not been called up to the squad for the March international window. His form at club level has certainly put him in the frame for such honours, playing a key role for Blackburn Rovers in their Championship promotion push.

A creative midfielder, he is the type of player that could make an impact at international level should he be given the opportunity.

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RW: Festy Ebosele (Udinese)

Festy Ebosele has had a fairly difficult start to life in Italy. A period of adjustment was always to be expected after a move from League One to Serie A, although he would have hoped to have had more than 190 minutes of total playing time in the division at this point.

In saying that, his minutes have increased in recent times, appearing in seven of their last nine league games. A hugely talented player, he will be a fixture in Ireland squads for years to come.

ST: Tom Cannon (Preston North End, on loan from Everton)

Someone who had only a few minutes of senior football under his belt prior to the start of the year, Tom Cannon's impact at Preston has been so impressive that may felt he should have been called up to the Ireland senior squad last month. He had to make do with an U21 debut instead, scoring in the 2-1 victory over Iceland.

The Merseyside native has scored four goals in his last six Championship appearances, putting in some fantastic performances along the way. Should he continue that form until the end of the campaign, a first senior call-up may not be too far away.

 

LW: Andrew Moran (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Andrew Moran is usually an attacking midfielder, although he is capable of playing out wide as well. In any case, he is more than deserving of a place in this side despite his inexperience in comparison to the other inclusions.

The Dubliner is considered to be a huge prospect at Brighton, making his Premier League debut earlier this season. He has also scored seven goals and registered six assists in PL2 for their U23 side this season.

It would be interesting to see what he could do out on loan next season, although more playing time at Brighton is certainly not out of the question. It would be a surprise if he were not to make his Ireland debut at some point over the next couple of years.

 

The Team In Full

This is an immensely talented side, with every player included aged 25-years old or younger.

You'd imagine that the majority will feature for Ireland at some point over the next few years.

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