Givens gives new blood a chance

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND U-21 manager Don Givens has called up five uncapped players for the friendly international against Scotland at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, on February 11.

Stephen Brennan (Newcastle), Stephen Paisley (Manchester City), Sean Thornton (Sunderland) Gary Dempsey (Dunfermline) and JJ Melligan (Kidderminster) are called into the panel as Givens uses the game as a chance to take a look at a number of new players.

Paisley and Dempsey have both been called up before and will be hopeful of starts while Brennan impressed Givens at the recent U-20 tournament in the United Arab

Emirates a tournament Thornton missed because Sunderland needed him for first team action at the same time.

"I don't really think of Stephen Paisley and Gary Dempsey as new boys. Both have been called up before and Stephen looked good while Gary had to pull out through injury," said Givens.

"He's doing very well at Dunfermline and hopefully will be able to join up with us.

"I've seen Stephen Brennan a few times now and he's really impressed me, as has JJ Melligan, while I saw Sean Thornton a few times when he was on loan with Blackpool and he did very well. Since then, he's got into the Sunderland first team and has continued his progress."

"There are a few others who have also benefited and there are others who could benefit from going out on loan."

This will be the Republic's first U-21 get-together since October's 3-2 defeat by Switzerland in Kilkenny.

Republic of Ireland: Squad: Murphy (West Brom), Stack (Beveren), Brennan (Newcastle), Goodwin (Stockport), Thompson (Nottm For), Byrne (Scunthorpe), Butler (Sunderland), Paisley (Man City), Tierney (Crewe), Dempsey (Dunfermline), Miller (Celtic), Melligan (Kidderminster), Thornton (Sunderland), Daly (Stockport), Reid (Nottm For), Barrett (Brighton), Hoolahan (Shelbourne), Hunt (Dunfermline).