Latest news with #ColinO'Brien's
RTÉ News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
'To this day one of the best moments I've ever had' - Stephen Kelly and Richie Towell go down an Ireland youth nostalgia trip
This is a big year for the Republic of Ireland Under-17s. In November, they will feature at the World Cup where they have been drawn in an eclectic group alongside Panama, Uzbekistan and Paraguay. Preparation for the tournament, which has been expanded to 48 teams and will be held in Qatar, revved up this month as Colin O'Brien's side took on the Under-18s from Norway, Turkey and Croatia in friendlies. The first two of those ended in defeats (4-1 and 2-0 respectively) but on Monday, goals from Rory Finneran, Jaden Umeh and Shamrock Rovers striker Michael Noonan fired the Boys in Green to a 3-0 victory in Croatia to end the window on a high note. There is plenty of talent in the squad, with the aforementioned trio as well as Noonan's Arsenal-linked Rovers team-mate Victor Ozhianvuna and Dundalk defender Vincent Leonard in the latest squad. The one complication for head coach O'Brien to navigate in the autumn will be the fact that the tournament will fall outside of a FIFA window, which means clubs would not be obligated to release players. The timing of the competition also coincides with the climax of the Irish domestic season and with youth very much to the fore, including at the leading clubs, there could be a dilemma or two. However, former Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk midfielder Richie Towell, who represented Ireland at the Under-17 European Championships in 2008, is unequivocal about whether club or country should come first for the current crop of youngsters when it comes to the World Cup. "The clubs have to let the players go," he said on this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast as he and former Ireland senior and Tottenham Hotspur defender Stephen Kelly reminisced about their major tournament memories at underage level for the Boys in Green. "As Stephen will tell you, for any Shamrock Rovers player to go and - no disrespect - to play against a Drogheda, or a Derry, or whoever it is for the last two or three games of the season, they need to go and play in a World Cup for Ireland. That's 100% more important. Most definitely." Kelly recalled being in a similar boat in 2003 when Ireland had qualified for the FIFA World Youth Championships - equivalent to the modern day Under-20 World Cup. Already on the books at Tottenham Hotspur, he was adamant that he would go the UAE to play alongside fellow future senior internationals like Stephen Elliott, Kevin Doyle, Glenn Whelan and Keith Fahey. "The World Cup came around and it was played in Abu Dhabi, so it was played in October, so middle of the season and I was on loan at Watford in the Championship at the time from Spurs," he said. "And they were like, 'You're not going (to the World Cup)'. And I'm like, 'I am going, I'm 100% going'. There's no way I'm missing out on this, to play at a World Cup. "There was one player that didn't go, Sean Thornton. He was at Sunderland at the time and he said he was going to stay at his club. "But for the rest of us, it was 'no chance, we're not missing this'. It's a World Cup and I never got to another one." That Boys in Green side managed to top their group and get to the knockout stage in the UAE, with Kelly scoring the second goal in a 2-0 win over Mexico. But beyond the results, it's the lifetime bonds that he has with those team-mates like Doyle, Whelan etc that remain most cherished. "They were the best times. It was so much fun. It was just hilarious," he said, adding that the memories were sprung back again last Friday at the Aviva Stadium when he bumped into Ireland senior coach Paddy McCarthy, who was one of his defensive partners in the youth ranks. "You have a special bond with them and you know them inside out. They're great times, they really are great times and you need to cherish them. "And if you can grow together and move on together where you end up in the senior team, it does create a little bit of cohesion and a connection that helps the senior team because you understand each other." While Kelly ended up playing 39 times for Ireland and also captained his country in a 2011 friendly against Uruguay, arguably his fondest memory in green dates back to his time in the Under-19s when he scored the winner against England at the 2002 European Championships, capping a comeback from 2-0 down against a side with numerous future Premier League stalwarts. "It's still to this day one of the best moments I've ever had in football which is crazy because it's a youth level," he said. "But we're Irish. Scoring a goal against England is like everything you dream of and I was in England at the time with Spurs. "We were 2-0 and I remember at half-time, the team talk Brian Kerr gave us, it was like tears in the eyes. I can't actually say what he said because we'd probably get in trouble but tears in your eyes stuff. "And the range of lunatics after half time, I'm not joking, it was unbelievable. "(My goal) was edge of the box, ball dropped in, I got up a looping header and it lobbed the goalkeeper from the edge of the box. I don't know how it went in and we just went mental. It was unbelievable." Towell, meanwhile, experienced the 2008 Euros for the Under-17s where he featured in a proverbial group of death against Switzerland and a Spain side which had Thiago Alcantara in it. Similarly to Kelly, he found his time at the tournament in Turkey to be a bonding experience in a side with future senior internationals Robbie Brady - still going strong as the newly-crowned FAI Men's Player of the Year - Conor Hourihane and Galway United captain Greg Cunningham. "You go away and you're playing with your mates. I knew all the lads that you mentioned. I'd known Robbie for years and years... Conor Clifford, players like this," he said. "So to go and literally play with your mates and test yourself against the best players in the world at that time, at that age, it was absolutely incredible."
The 42
25-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Ireland U17s discover World Cup group opponents
IRELAND U17S today discovered their group opponents at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. Colin O'Brien's side will face Panama (5 November), Uzbekistan (8 November) and Paraguay (11 November) in Group J, with venues and kick-off times yet to be confirmed. Advertisement At this level, it is Ireland's debut appearance at the tournament, which will have 48 teams for the first time. The top two teams from every group, along with the eight best third-place sides, will advance to the round of 32. Last March, Ireland qualified for the World Cup after being the best runners-up for Euros qualification, while narrowly missing out on reaching the latter tournament. The team will prepare for Qatar '25 by playing three games in Croatia next month against Norway, Türkiye and the hosts. The World Cup takes place between 3 and 27 November.
RTÉ News
25-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Republic of Ireland U17s group confirmed for November's World Cup
The Republic of Ireland have discovered their group opponents for the 2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar. Colin O'Brien's young Boys in Green, have drawn Paraguay, Uzbekistan and Panama in Group J for the underage global competition. The squad will head to Qatar in November for what is Ireland's first appearance at an Under-17s World Cup and will begin the tournament by facing Panama. They will then take on Uzbekistan, then followed by Paraguay on match day three. It is the first time the tournament will have 48 teams. The top two teams in each group, along with the eight best third-placed sides, will qualify for the round of 32. From the round of 32 onwards, the tournament will be played in a knock-out format. CONFIRMED | Ireland MU17s' World Cup Group for the U17 World Cup in Qatar 🏆 Colin O'Brien's team have been drawn against Paraguay, Uzbekistan and Panama in Group J 🇵🇾🇺🇿🇵🇦🇮🇪 The Tournament begins November 3 #IRLU17 | #COYBIG — Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) May 25, 2025 Speaking after the draw, Ireland head coach Colin O'Brien said: "There are 48 teams represented at the draw and I'm proud to see Ireland among them. "It's exciting and very intriguing coming up against different countries from different confederations. We've Asian, South American and Central American opposition and it will be a superb experience for the players and the staff. "I always say that often people judge young international sides by their senior teams but you never know, a team could have a special group of players who we so happen to be coming up against. "The draw is done, so the hard work for the tournament begins tomorrow. We have our opening game date, we have our opponents and we'll be looking forward to the World Cup." Ireland qualified for the tournament after being the best runners-up in UEFA U-17 Euros qualification. While missing out on the Euros competition, their 5-0 win over Iceland secured their spot in Qatar. The Under-17s' first preparation games for the World Cup will begin next month when they head to Croatia for three friendlies against Norway, Türkiye and Croatia.
Irish Independent
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Ireland U-17s to face Paraguay, Uzbekistan and Panama in World Cup
Sean O'Connor Today at 14:58 Ireland's U-17s will face Paraguay, Uzbekistan and Panama in Group J in their first World Cup finals later this year. Colin O'Brien's side made history last March by becoming the first Irish side to qualify for the U-17 World Cup on account of their runners-up finish in Euro qualifying, and have today learned their group opponents for the tournament in Qatar, which kicks off on November 3.
