Republic of Ireland under-17s manager James O’Brien has included 12 Dubliners in his squad for a training camp in Marbella this week.
The Boys in Green play a pair of friendlies against Belgium on Thursday and Saturday as they finish preparations for next month’s European Championships Elite Qualifying Round.
Ireland face hosts Portugal, Finland and Bulgaria at the end of March with the top two (minus the lowest) set to join hosts Israel in this summer's tournament.
And their number is swelled by no fewer than six St Patrick’s Athletic players, three from Shamrock Rovers, two from Bohemians and one from UCD.
O’Brien has called up five fresh faces to the squad, including Ivan Savshak, the Dundalk defender currently playing for Hungarian side Honved Budapest.
Also called up for the first time are the Athletic’s Sean McHale, UCD’s Dan McHale, Rovers’ Pharrell Manuel and Senan Mullen of Dundalk.
Defender Sean McHale is joined by fellow Saints defenders Sam Curtis, Sean Mackey and Luke O’Brien plus midfielders Darius Lipsiuc and Adam Murphy.
Curtis, O’Brien, Lipsuic and Murphy were involved in the Pats under-19s side that bowed out narrowly to Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) in the UEFA Youth League in September.
Rovers are represented by defender Manuel, midfielder Justin Ferizaj and striker Gideon Tetteh, while Bohs midfielders James McManus and Daniel Negry-McGrath also feature.
Like November’s squad to face Andorra, there are no English-based players, though Savshuk, Celtic’s Rocco Vata and Villarreal’s Caden McLoughlin are all based overseas.
Republic of Ireland Men's Under-17 Squad
Goalkeepers: Fintan Doherty (Derry City), Conor Walsh (Sligo Rovers)
Defenders: Sam Curtis (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Sean Mackey (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Pharrell Manuel (Shamrock Rovers), Dan McHale (UCD), Sean McHale (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Luke O’Brien (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Ivan Savshak (Honved Budapest)
Midfielders: Justin Ferizaj (Shamrock Rovers), Darius Lipsiuc (St. Patrick’s Athletic), James McManus (Bohemians), Senan Mullen (Dundalk), Adam Murphy (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Daniel Negry-McGrath (Bohemians), Rocco Vata (Celtic)
Forwards: Caden McLoughlin (Villarreal), Mark O’Mahony (Cork City), Gideon Tetteh (Shamrock Rovers), Franco Umeh (Cork City)
