Ireland face French test today - January 24, 2000
Ireland's u17 take on France in Lunel this afternoon and play them again on Friday. Manager Brian Kerr had to make two changes to his original squad but still looks to have a strong hand for the two matches.
Manchester City goalkeeper Brian Murphy and Bolton's Ciaran Ryan were forced to withdraw from the squad and they have been replaced by Notts County goalkeeper Saul Deeney and Aston Villa's Sean Dillon.
Deeney is on the verge of a breakthrough to the Notts County first team and it was a surprise that he failed to make the original 18-man squad.
Kerr has four newcomers in his squad for the trip. Wycombe's Ian Simpemba, Exeter's Reineer Moor, Southampton's Shay Saunders and Charlton's Adrian Deane will all get a chance to impress the manager during the two-game tour.
France come into the games on the back of a 1-0 defeat against England in December and will be looking to get the new year off to a good start.
Ireland revised u17 squad: Wayne Henderson (Aston Villa), Saul Deeney (Notts County), Mark Rossiter (Sunderland), Joe Kendricks (Newcastle United), Stephen Brennan (Newcastle United), Paddy McCarthy (Manchester City), Stephen Paisley (Manchester City), Keith Fahey (Aston Villa), Stephen Capper (Sunderland), Ian Simpemba (Wycombe Wanderers), Graham Ward (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Keith Gilroy (Middlesbrough), Sean Thornton (Tranmere Rovers), Adrian Deane (Charlton Athletic), Reineer Moor (Exeter City), Shay Saunders (Southampton), Brian Fitzgerald (QPR), Sean Dillon (Aston Villa).
French squad: Leandri Bonnefoi (Cannes), Mathieu Moreau (Nantes), Mansour Assoumani (Montpellier), Jean-Michel Badiane (PSG), Franck Béria (Metz), Cédric Bockhorni (Nancy-Lorraine), Gérald Cid (Bordeaux), Fabien Laurenti (Marseille), Franck Toye (Le Havre), Etienne Didot (Stade Rennais), Olivier Auriac (Bordeaux), Bruno Grougi (SM Caen), Nicolas Hislen (Monaco), Nicolas Karlamoff (SC Amiens), Jérémy Mathieu (FC Sochaux), Jérémie Aladière (Arsenal), Yannick Blanchard (CS Sedan), William Mocquet (Le Havre).