Trapattoni - Youth matters

Trapattoni: Eyeing youth

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New Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni has placed an emphasis on youth at an up-coming training camp.

His comments come after he named a 28-man squad for a training camp on the Algarve and the friendlies against Serbia in Dublin on 24th May and Colombia at Craven Cottage on 29th May.

His side will play two games against local club sides in Portugal, with Trapattoni saying many of the players he takes to the Algarve will be young and "that is good."

He added: "I know the famous players and I want to know the young players. I will use Portugal to see how they train and how they play.

"I will learn a lot about them over the next two weeks. Any player who is not in this squad is still in my thoughts.

"Some players who were not in the preliminary squad are in this squad because they have impressed and are playing in positions where we had vacancies.

Monitor

"We will continue to monitor every Irish player from the start of next season and if they impress, they will be brought into the squad."

He added: "The next two weeks are important. It is my first opportunity to work with the players and I am looking forward to it.

"We will have two training games in Portugal and the games against Serbia and Colombia so I will get to see all the players playing."

Five players in the squad - Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne, John O'Shea, Aiden McGeady and Darren O'Dea - will be missing in Portugal due to club or personal commitments and will join up with the rest on their return to play the friendlies.

Also missing initially will be Cardiff's Stephen McPhail and Crystal Palace's Sean Scannell, who will join up with the squad after the FA Cup final and Championship play-offs respectively.

There are seven previously uncapped players in Trapattoni's squad - O'Dea, Scannell, Damien Delaney, Kevin Foley, Owen Garvan, Wesley Hoolahan and Glenn Whelan.

Returns

West Brom goalkeeper Dean Kiely, 37, returns to the squad following an absence of five years after answering the manager's call to come back to the fold.

Trapattoni also hopes self-exiled trio Steve Finnan, Stephen Ireland and Andy O'Brien will also return under his management, although none are included in this squad.

The Italian said: "As you know, I spoke to Steve Finnan, Stephen Ireland and Andy O'Brien last week in Manchester and asked them to return to international football.

"I left the door open for them to return and it is now up to them to decide what to do. But I am optimistic."

Shay Given, Lee Carsley, Kevin Kilbane, Darron Gibson and Joey O'Brien are missing through injury.

Republic of Ireland squad

Goalkeepers: Colin Doyle (Birmingham), Dean Kiely (West Brom), Joe Murphy (Scunthorpe).

Defenders: Alex Bruce (Ipswich), Damien Delaney (QPR), Richard Dunne (Manchester City), Kevin Foley (Wolves), Stephen Kelly (Birmingham), Paul McShane (Sunderland), Darren O'Dea (Celtic), John O'Shea (Manchester United).

Midfielders: Damien (Duff (Newcastle), Owen Garvan (Ipswich), Wesley Hoolahan (Blackpool), Stephen Hunt (Reading), Aiden McGeady (Celtic), Stephen McPhail (Cardiff), Liam Miller (Sunderland), Darren Potter (Wolves), Andy Reid (Sunderland), Martin Rowlands (QPR), Sean Scannell (Crystal Palace), Glenn Whelan Stoke).

Strikers: Kevin Doyle (Reading), Robbie Keane (Tottenham), Andy Keogh (Wolves), Shane Long (Reading), Daryl Murphy (Sunderland).