Blarney's Conor McCarthy added to U21 squad for Italian showdown

Cork's player of the year in 2019, he won an Airtricity League medal and two FAI Cups in his time with the Leeside club

Former Cork City man Conor McCarthy is now playing his club football with Scottish side St Mirren. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Former Cork City defender Conor McCarthy has been drafted into Jim Crawford's Republic of Ireland U21 squad for the crucial European Championship qualifier away to Italy next week.

The man from Blarney has yet to be capped at the grade but he was a part of a home-based U21 squad put together by Stephen Kenny in February 2019 that took on an Ireland amateur side. He moved to St Mirren at the start of 2020.