Mipo Odubeko's Ireland exile continues as he remains absent from U21 squad

Odubeko’s last involvement for Ireland came in an U17 friendly against Finland in March 2019 and both Nigeria and England are trying to profit from the Tallaght-born attacker’s indecision

Mipo Odubeko’s last involvement for Ireland came in an U17 friendly against Finland in March 2019. Picture: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

Mipo Odubeko’s self-imposed exile from the Ireland set-up will prolong, with Ireland U21 manager Jim Crawford admitting the West Ham United striker has a “choice” to make on his international future.

The 18-year-old forward – who featured twice for Hammers first-team last season – won’t be among the squad Crawford unveils on Friday for the opening Euro 2023 qualifiers in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Luxembourg next month.

Odubeko’s last involvement for Ireland came in an U17 friendly against Finland in March 2019 but his failure to make the squad for the FAI-hosted Euro finals two months later left him with a grievance he’s not shaken off.

Both Nigeria and England are trying to profit from the Tallaght-born attacker’s indecision.

He qualifies for the Super Eagles through his parents while the five-year residency rule could make him eligible for the country he’s lived in since joining Manchester United at 15.

Crawford, who knows Odubeko personally from his spell on the Dublin Schoolboy League circuit, had sought clarity on the situation but has written off his involvement in the opening double-header.

It was interesting that in explaining the player’s continued absence, Crawford talked up the commitment shown by Ryan Johansson.

The midfielder, currently on loan from Sevilla to Dutch side Fortuna Sittard, swayed towards Ireland despite competition for his allegiance from Sweden and Luxembourg.

Ireland begin their campaign in Zenica on Friday week, September 3 (3.30pm, Irish time), before another trip to Dudelange four days later (3pm, Irish time).

“What always makes the big news are players who are left out,” Crawford said.

“I had a lot of really difficult decisions to make about players who were involved in the last two camps. It’s not easy but it has to be done.

“Probably the biggest talking point is Mipo from West Ham. Mipo has got a decision to make, a choice, and our lines of communication will always be open.

“But he won’t be involved in this camp and what we should probably be talking about are the players who are involved.

“You look at the likes of Ryan Johansson who fought tooth and nail to be part of the U21s. That’s the type of player you need in the building. Players who are proud to put on the jersey and will work as hard as they can to make sure the team can achieve as much as they possibly can in this upcoming campaign.

“There’ll be a few surprises in the squad and we’ll be bringing in a couple of younger players who could still potentially play with the U19s, which is exciting.”