Ireland’s U16 soccer squad named for upcoming friendlies

Exciting young talents set to represent their country

Ireland’s U16 soccer squad has been named for two upcoming friendlies against Scotland and the Netherlands.

The squad, which is managed by Tom Mohan, will travel to Scotland on October 25th for a match against the Young Scots at Dumbarton FC. They will then host the Netherlands at the FAI National Training Centre in Abbotstown on October 28th.

The matches will provide Mohan with a chance to assess his squad ahead of the UEFA Development Tournament in Spain in November. Ireland have been drawn in Group 11 alongside Spain, Portugal and Hungary.

The squad includes a number of exciting young talents, including Manchester United midfielder Alejandro Garnacho and Aston Villa forward Sean Mahon. Garnacho has been in impressive form for United's U18 side this season, scoring six goals in seven appearances. Mahon has also been in good form for Villa's U18 side, scoring four goals in six appearances.

Other notable players in the squad include Celtic midfielder Josh Feeney, Shamrock Rovers defender Sean Grehan and Bohemians goalkeeper Max Murphy. Feeney has been capped by Scotland at U16 level, but is eligible to play for Ireland through his mother. Grehan has been a regular for Rovers' U17 side this season, while Murphy has been capped by Ireland at U15 level.

The matches against Scotland and the Netherlands will be a good test for Ireland's U16s. Scotland are one of the top-ranked teams at this age group, while the Netherlands are always a tough opponent. Mohan will be hoping his team can perform well in these matches and give him a good indication of their progress ahead of the UEFA Development Tournament.