Ireland Under-21s will kick-off their European Qualification campaign when they face Türkiye in Turner’s Cross on Friday evening. It will be the first competitive outing for Jim Crawford’s new look Under-21s who go into the game following wins over Iceland, Kuwait and a draw with U21 EURO semi-finalists Ukraine. The team trained at FAI HQ, Abbotstown this week before travelling to Cork where they’ll be based for the remainder of the international window. Wigan Athletic's Baba Adeeko was called-into the squad earlier in the week to replace fellow Galway-man Alex Murphy who picked-up an injury before the players reported for duty.
Ireland's only two players missing are St. Patrick’s Athletic striker Conor Carty, who will miss out due to illness. Oxford United’s Tyler Goodrham has also been ruled out through injury.
Ireland U21 Head Coach Jim Crawford believes that Turkey's vocal support will be a massive boost to them when the sides meet in Turners Cross this evening.
𝗨 𝗡 𝗗 𝗘 𝗥 - 𝟮 𝟭𝘀 𝗠 𝗔 𝗧 𝗖 𝗛 𝗗 𝗔 𝗬 ☘️
A new campaign starts in Cork tonight
🇮🇪 v 🇹🇷
🏆 | U21 EURO Qualifier
⌚️ | KO 7.30pm
📍 | Turner’s Cross, Cork
🎟️ | Tickets available 👉 https://t.co/MFJATiCIaz
📺 | RTÉPlayer / RTÉ News Channel#IRLU21 | #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/HCVHlubQEr— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) September 8, 2023
"Türkiye will have a lot of quality and will be a threat but it is up to us to stand up to that challenge. The crowd in Cork will play a huge part. They were amazing in March and I expect they’ll be just as vocal," he said
Ireland U21 Forward Andrew Moran also added that the Irish support will also do likewise for them in Cork
“It is good to experience more fans from around country and to play games outside of Dublin. I’ve played at Turner’s Cross before for the Under-17s and again in March and you always feel it’s an occasion when you play here. We'll need that support,"he added.
Fans are advised to get their tickets for the game in advance. A duo deal is available that secures a seat for both qualifiers against Türkiye and San Marino priced at €15 for adults, €10 for juniors and €40 for a family ticket (two adults and two juniors) - Ticketmaster charges apply.
Tickets can be purchased HERE Match DetailsFixture: Ireland U21 v Türkiye U21Date: Friday, September 8KO time: 7.30pmStadium: Turner’s Cross Stadium, CorkMatch coverage: RTÉ Player/ RTÉ News ChannelMatch stat: This is the first competitive Under-21s game at Turner’s Cross for 14 yearsRepublic of Ireland Under-21 Squad
Goalkeepers: Killian Cahill (Brighton & Hove Albion), Josh Keeley (Tottenham Hotspur), Owen Mason (Wexford, on loan from Mansfield Town)
Defenders: James Abankwah (Charlton Athletic, on loan from Udinese), Baba Adeeko (Wigan Athletic), Sam Curtis (St. Patrick’s Athletic), James Furlong (Hull City), Anselmo Garcia MacNulty (PEC Zwolle), Sean Grehan (Crystal Palace), Bosun Lawal (Fleetwood Town, on loan from Celtic), Sean Roughan (Lincoln City) Midfielders: Zak Gilsenan (Blackburn Rovers), Matt Healy (Royal Francs Borains), Ed McJannet (Lecce), Adam Murphy (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Killian Phillips (Wycombe Wanderers, on loan from Crystal Palace), Rocco Vata (Celtic) Forwards: Sinclair Armstrong (Queen’s Park Rangers), Aidomo Emakhu (Millwall), Johnny Kenny (Shamrock Rovers, on loan from Celtic), Andrew Moran (Blackburn Rovers, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), Tony Springett (Norwich City)
