Curtis eyes senior Ireland involvement 'in the near future' 

STEP ON THE LADDER: Sam Curtis of the Republic of Ireland in action against Riccardo Calafiori of Italy. Pic: Eóin Noonan, Sportsfile

Sam Curtis is a young man in a hurry, with the Ireland right-back succession stakes already consuming the 18-year-old’s thoughts.

It was this time last year that he laid claim to the U21 equivalent, stepping into Jim Crawford’s first eleven at Turner’s Cross for his debut while still an under-19 player.