ANDY EYEING A COMEBACK
INTER MILAN starlet Ryan Nolan has shown a ‘wholehearted’ approach to playing for Ireland.
While Bayern Munich’s Ryan Johansson appears to have slipped the FAI net, Nolan remains an option.
Born in Shannon, the 19-year-old defender (above) moved to Spain when he was eight and is eligible for Las Rojas.
But Inter’s youth team captain - who recently signed a two-year deal and made a first team breakthrough in the summer - is keen to play for Ireland. Irish U19 boss Tom Mohan said: “He’s another player that is still on the radar but he’s gone above my age group now.
“I capped Ryan first at U17 level. In that 1999 age group, we had a lot of quality centre-backs.
“But he’s done really well since. Jim Crawford capped him the following year at U18 so Ryan has been in our system.
“He’s constantly being monitored. He’s a good lad, fully committed.
“He has a good professional attitude and definitely was wholehearted about playing with us.” ANDY CARROLL is on course for his latest return from injury after the international break.
The luckless West Ham striker suffered a recurrence of an ankle problem on the club’s pre-season tour of Switzerland in July.
It kept him out of action for nearly three months last season and he had been ruled out until November at the earliest after his latest setback.
But the resurgent Hammers are optimistic that Carroll, 29, (above) will be available in just over a fortnight.
Injuries restricted Carroll to just 18 appearances last season, a campaign which saw him score only three goals.