Corey Whelan happy to broaden his education Ireland U21s

Corey Whelan was raised in ‘the Liverpool way’. But the 20-year-old has had to learn to handle himself whatever way it comes at on-loan club Yeovil Town and from opposition players on the muddy pitches commonplace across League Two venues.

So far, so good for the defender who declared for Ireland at 16 through his grandparents born in Armagh. He should make his latest U21 appearance against Iceland at Tallaght Stadium tonight (7.30pm), fresh from starts in the five Euro qualifiers of the current campaign.

In his profile on the Liverpool website, Whelan describes himself as ‘funny’, and he has needed to see the funny side at times, developing a thick skin as his fledgeling career develops.