We’re getting closer now.
A few weeks before each and every Ireland match Martin O’Neill sits down in front of the Irish media to tell them that pretty much every single Irish person who has ever even kicked a football and who can run 100 metres without coughing up a lung is in the preliminary squad for the upcoming fixture.
If it’s an exercise in avoiding controversy then it works a treat as O’Neill rarely has to face any questions from the media about who he has left out of the squad. Almost everyone is in it.
Or at least they are until it’s whittled down closer to the fixtures in question.
We've found the highest-placed Irish player playing regularly who isn't in the Ireland squad https://t.co/BArNOjx5ki pic.twitter.com/bD9egPUyWB
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 31, 2015
It was more or less the same again on Thursday as O’Neill announced a 35-man squad for the first of Ireland’s final two warm-up matches before Euro 2016 against Holland at the Aviva on Friday May 27.
But there was one big surprise as Oxford United’s Callum O’Dowda gets his first call-up.
The 21-year-old left winger scored for the Under-21s against Slovenia in March and has obviously impressed O’Neill and Roy Keane enough with his performances for the League Two side to warrant a closer look when the squad get together next week.
Though it’s unlikely that O’Dowda will feature against the Dutch and O’Neill plans to trim down the squad next week.
Jack Byrne was called up to train with the senior squad before the friendly against Switzerland in March but returned to the Under-21s after a few days under the watchful eye of O’Neill and Co.
Something similar could well happen with O’Dowda.
Marc Wilson has been included despite being a major fitness doubt, while there are also places for David McGoldrick and Kevin Doyle, who have both had recent injuries.
The squad in full is:
GOALKEEPERS
Shay Given
Darren Randolph
David Forde
Keiren Westwood
DEFENDERS
Seamus Coleman
Cyrus Christie
Paul McShane
Ciaran Clark
Richard Keogh
John O’Shea
Alex Pearce
Shane Duffy
Marc Wilson
Stephen Ward
MIDFIELDERS
Aiden McGeady
James McClean
Glenn Whelan
James McCarthy
Jeff Hendrick
David Meyler
Stephen Quinn
Darron Gibson
Harry Arter
Wes Hoolahan
Eunan O’Kane
Anthony Pilkington
Robbie Brady
Jon Walters
Jonathan Hayes
Callum O’Dowda
FORWARDS
Robbie Keane
Shane Long
David McGoldrick
Kevin Doyle
Daryl Murphy
BREAKING: Martin O'Neill has named a 35 man squad for the upcoming friendly against the Netherlands! #COYBIG #IRLNED pic.twitter.com/3ZIieew4T7
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) May 12, 2016
