Givens names under-21 squad

The Republic of Ireland under-21 boss Don Givens has named a 20-man squad to take part in the Madeira International Tournament at the end of this month.

Ireland are due to face Portugal, Italy and Madeira between Tuesday, February 24 and Friday, February 27 in a tournament that Givens believes will give him a good opportunity to assess the players available to him and also to develop the side.

"It's a good tournament for us. We don't know what type of sides Portugal and Italy will bring with them because we've been forced to leave out some of our more experienced players, though it means that I've been able to call in some players who could go on to earn regular places in the squad," he said.

The majority of the squad is made of players who were involved in last December's World Youth Championships in the United Arab Emirates.

"I used quite a lot of players who went to the Emirates last year and they are well known to me though a few of them are not.

"Because of the time period, I couldn't select players who are playing first team football so people like Sean Thornton, David Bell, Jonathan Walters, Graham Ward, Kevin Foley and Eamon Zayed are not involved."

Ireland will open the tournament against Portugal on Tuesday, February 24, clash with Italy the following day before finishing the tournament with a game against Madeira on Friday, February 27.

Squad: Murphy (Swansea City), Henderson (Aston Villa), Capper (Scarborough), McCarthy (Manchester City), Fitzgerald (Blackburn Rovers), Kelly (Tottenham Hotspur), Paisley (Longford Town), Kohlmann (Borussia Dortmund), Flood (Manchester City), Keegan (Leeds United), Potter (Liverpool), Foley (Liverpool), Whelan (Manchester City), Bradley (Arsenal), Kearney (Cork

City), Doyle (Cork City), Deane (Charlton Athletic), Elliott (Manchester City), Mehmet (Dunfermline Athletic), Yeates (Tottenham Hotspur).