Kenny eager to maximise Ireland’s attacking talent

Debut U21 call-ups for Troy Parrott, Michael Obafemi and Johnathan Afolabi have reinforced the sense of a rich vein of attacking talent bubbling up in Irish football, something further underlined in Stephen Kenny’s latest squad announcement by a decision to make a distinction on paper between ‘central midfielders’ and ‘attacking midfielders’.

Listed in the press release under the former heading are Jayson Molumby (Millwall, on loan from Brighton), Jason Knight (Derby County), Conor Coventry (West Ham United) and Jake Doyle-Hayes (Cheltenham Town, on loan from Aston Villa)) while bracketed as attacking midfielders are Jack Taylor (Barnet), Dan Mandroiu (Bohemians), Gavin Kilkenny (AFC Bournemouth and, Zack Elbouzedi (Waterford).