As much as the diminishing number of Premier League regulars in the senior Ireland squad is a concern, deeper problems are evident among the U21 panel, though Noel King’s main striker Reece Grego-Cox insists the non-league circuit is ideal for him at this stage.

Bayern Munich bounced back from defeat to Borussia Dortmund a week ago with a 2-1 win at Bayer Leverkusen which cemented second place in the Bundesliga on Saturday.