Stephen Kenny has said that he is delighted for Troy Parrott that the 17-year-old Spurs player has received his first senior Ireland call-up even though it means the U21 manager will be without his star striker for next Thursday’s Euro 2021 qualifier away to Armenia.

“I’m feeling very well. Obviously I had a stay (in hospital) in Sweden and there is probably not a better health system you could have than in Sweden so it wasn’t the worse place to be not well in.

Debut U21 call-ups for Troy Parrott, Michael Obafemi and Johnathan Afolabi have reinforced the sense of a rich vein of attacking talent bubbling up in Irish football, something further underlined in Stephen Kenny’s latest squad announcement by a decision to make a distinction on paper between ‘central midfielders’ and ‘attacking midfielder

Bournemouth midfielder Gavin Kilkenny and Danny McNamara, who is currently on loan at Newport County also recieved their first call-ups.

If ever there was a time Kevin Feely was going to consider what might have been, it was two weekends ago when two of his former clubs were playing in Wembley as he took to the field for Kildare in Tullamore.

Conor Hourihane proved the match-winner as Aston Villa continued their charge towards the Championship play-offs with an eighth successive win on Saturday.

Mick McCarthy has named his Republic of Ireland squad for the EURO 2020 Qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia.

Here are all the latest headlines this lunchtime...

Also included is Aston Villa's Glenn Whelan, who was expected to have played his last game for Ireland after captaining the side in a 36-minute ceremonial cameo against Northern Ireland in November.

His predecessor Martin O’Neill had to wait 10 months for his first competitive match, but half that duration is just as frustrating for Mick McCarthy when he’s had no Ireland fixtures at all.

Newport County’s remarkable FA Cup odyssey may have ended on Saturday but a 4-1 defeat didn’t stop Irish striker Pádraig Amond from leaving the pitch with a pep in his step.

Daniel Storey's talking points after the FA Cup weekend

The boy from the small Argentinian town of Murphy has taken a long and winding road via Barcelona, Southampton, and Tottenham, to see for the first time his family’s ancestral home in Piedmont, Italy, but Mauricio Pochettino feels at home in Turin — and does not think Spurs should feel out of place at the Allianz Stadium where they face Juventus tonight.

Mauricio Pochettino's men edged one step closer to ending the club's 10-year wait for a trophy.

The elation felt by Manchester United fans following the double drama of Jose Mourinho’s new contract and Alexis Sanchez’s arrival in transfer deadline week is already over after Tottenham ruthlessly exposed their defensive problems in a deserved victory at Wembley.

Man United and Spurs, should they progress, were also handed away draws.

Ireland 4 Israel 0: Reece Grego-Cox felt honoured to escalate Ireland’s U21 European Championship qualification crusade yesterday against Israel.

Kevin Feely doesn’t know what better way to put why he waved goodbye on a career across the Irish Sea.

Despite the promise of a meet-up with the Red Devils of Belgium, it turned out to be more of a gathering with the Red Dragons, for the first half at least.

Ireland’s U21 Euro ambitions are in disarray after Italy inflicted a heavy defeat on Noel King’s side last night despite them racing into an early lead.

Holders Arsenal must entertain Burnley in the fourth round of the FA Cup while Northampton’s reward if they can get past MK Dons in a third-round replay will be a visit from Chelsea.

Phil Jones admits Manchester United are still learning Louis van Gaal’s new system but the defender believes their 100% record in pre-season shows they are ready for the new Premier League campaign to start.

John Aldridge has dismissed comparisons between Luis Suarez’s handball in Liverpool’s 2-1 FA Cup win against Mansfield and Thierry Henry’s sleight of hand in France’s World Cup play-off victory over the Republic of Ireland in November 2009.

Sam Foley wants to score at Wembley today and honour the memory of his late father, Robin.

BATH CITY had five players sent off as an FA Youth Cup tie descended into farce following a row over underpants.

Bolton midfielder Chung-Yong Lee was carried off during the first half of the club’s pre-season friendly against Newport County with what looked like a serious leg injury.

Wales star Craig Bellamy has at least not lost his sense of humour after his disappointment at missing out on the Champions League final.

A linesman in a grudge soccer derby was taken to hospital after being knocked unconscious by a coin hurled from the crowd today.

FORMER Republic of Ireland and Liverpool striker John Aldridge has applied to become the next Wales manager.