Irish ref on panel for UEFA U21 Championship

League of Ireland referee Alan Kelly could be the first Irishman to referee at the UEFA U21 European Championship.

The Cork-based official has been drafted into a seven-man referee panel which will undergo fitness tests ahead of this summer's tournament in Sweden in June.

However, he is number seven on the list and will only be used if he passes and one of the other refs fails the exams.

Women’s referee Paula Brady has also been called up for fitness tests ahead of the UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship, which takes place in Belarus this July.