UEFA U16 Dev Tournament
13.05.2014 at 13:30 - Magglingen
REPUBLIC of Ireland U16 Head Coach Tom O Connor has named his squad for the forthcoming UEFA Development tournament which takes place in Switzerland later this month.
The Irish will face Austria on May 13, hosts Switzerland on May 14 and finish up against Croatia on May 16.
Ireland hosted the same tournament last year and topped a group including Germany and while O Connor would be pleased to repeat that performance he is not focused on the results in Switzerland.
"It is a different bunch of players so what happened last season will have little bearing on how we do this year," said O Connor.
"It is a UEFA tournament. They are trying to replicate a qualifying tournament so it will be a great opportunity for the players who go U17 next year to know what to expect when they have competitive qualifying games.
"The standard of opposition is very good, Austria, Switzerland and Croatia, and the whole objective is that everybody gets playing time to learn."
O Connor has drafted two players from the U15 squad into his travelling party in the form of West Hams Anthony Scully, son of the former Cardiff player of the same name, and Cherry Orchards Aaron O Driscoll, the son of former St Patricks Athletic and Bohemians defender Maurice O Driscoll.
"We brought in Anthony Scully and Aaron O Driscoll from the year younger and we will see how they perform a year up," said O Connor.
"I have seen both their fathers play so it does show how the cycle can go for players from father to son.
"You will only know whether they are up to this challenge by trying them out but a year can be a big jump mentally and physically for a young player. We are bringing them in so they can become adjusted to that level.
"The decision is only made to bring a younger player up providing we feel the players are capable of taking that step a year up."
O Connor has been pleased with the progress the players under his watch have made this year with four U16s already stepping up to U17 level earlier this season.
"We were in Holland recently without some of the players who were with the U17s and that test stood to the other players – they now know what it is like to play against excellent opposition," he said.
"It is about development so the only way we can develop is by playing the best. Myself and the staff are really looking forward to this tournament and we feel the players will benefit from it."
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND:
Eric Donnelly (Home Farm)
Ross Treacy (St Kevins Boys)
Darragh Leahy (St Kevins Boys)
Jonathan Lunney (Malahide United)
Zachary Elbouzedi (Malahide United)
Daniel Mandroiu (St Kevins Boys)
Aaron O Driscoll (Cherry Orchard)
Steven Kinsella (Templeogue United)
Conor Davis (Templeogue United)
Josh Barrett (Reading FC)
Robert McCourt (St Kevins Boys)
Gareth Doherty (Letterkenny Rovers)
Jesse Stafford Lacey (St Brendans Park FC)
Anthony Scully (West Ham United)
Stephen Nolan (BT Harps)
Conor Masterson (Lucan United)
Conor Levingston (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Corey O Keeffe (Birmingham City)
Ryan Fowley (Buttevant AFC)
Michael Dilger (Lucan United)
FIXTURES
Tuesday, May 13
UEFA U16 Development Tournament
Austria v Republic of Ireland, Magglingen (1.30pm Irish)
Wednesday, May 14
UEFA U16 Development Tournament
Switzerland v Republic of Ireland, Magglingen (4.30pm Irish)
Friday, May 16
UEFA U16 Development Tournament
Croatia v Republic of Ireland, Magglingen (9.00am Irish)
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