Four LOI players included in Irish U21 squad

Ireland Under-21 coach Noel King has included four LOI players in the squad for Euro qualifiers against Norway and Israel next month.

Shamrock Rovers midfielder Trevor Clarke joins Derry City's forward Ronan Curtis and Galway United's midfielder Rory Hale in the 24-man squad.

Burton Albion defender Ryan Delaney, on loan at Cork City until the end of the SSE Airtricity season, is also included in the squad for the Group Five game against Norway on Thursday 5 October to be shown live on eir Sport 1 from 7.15 [KO 7.45] and the following Monday's match against Israel, also on eir Sport 1 from 3.25pm [KO 3.30pm].

Ireland are top of the group after victories over Kosovo and Azerbaijan earlier this month.

QPR winger Olamide Shodipo and Chesterfield midfielder Connor Dimaio return from injury while Brighton's Dessie Hutchinson and Aston Villa's Jack Doyle Hayes are also called up for the games at Tallaght Stadium.

Announcing the squad, King said: "We're really looking forward to next week. We go into the games top of the group and the squad have shown real promise in our first two matches.

"The challenge now is to keep those standards high and keep improving through what will be two difficult games. Both Norway and Israel have qualified for the European Championships in recent years so we need to be at our very best to get the positive results we require.

"As is the norm, we must now wait by the phone until the weekend is over and keep our fingers crossed everyone comes through from their games unscathed.

"I know the players are looking forward to the challenge ahead of them and hopefully with a good crowd at Tallaght Stadium as we look to get three wins in a row."

Image: Getty/Ryan Byrne

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 match against Norway on Thursday 5 October will be shown live on eir Sport 1 from 7.15 [KO 7.45] and on Monday 9 October eir Sport 1 will broadcast the fixture against Israel, from 3.25pm [KO 3.30pm].

Goalkeepers: Kieran O'Hara (Manchester United), Liam Bossin (Nottingham Forest).

Defenders: Danny Kane (Huddersfield), Ryan Sweeney (Stoke City, on loan at Bristol Rovers), Shaun Donnellan (West Bromwich Albion, on loan at Walsall), Declan Rice (West Ham United), Corey Whelan (Liverpool), Ryan Delaney (Burton Albion, on loan at Cork City), Trevor Clarke (Shamrock Rovers)

Midfielders: Josh Cullen (West Ham, on loan at Bolton Wanderers), Harry Charsley (Everton), Conor Shaughnessy (Leeds United), Liam Kinsella (Walsall), Jake Mulraney (Inverness Caledonian Thistle), Connor Ronan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Olamide Shodipo (QPR), Connor Dimaio (Chesterfield), Rory Hale (Galway United), Jake Doyle Hayes (Aston Villa), Dessie Hutchinson (Brighton and Hove Albion).

Forwards: Reece Grego Cox (QPR), Ryan Manning (QPR), Ronan Curtis (Derry City), Joe Quigley (Bournemouth, on loan at Newport County).