Turkish trip will kick off Ireland’s football year
MARTIN O’NEILL’S Ireland will kick off 2018 with a March training camp in Turkey ahead of a friendly international in Antalya.
With the failure to make the World Cup making home friendlies a difficult commercial challenge unless a high-class opponent can be attracted to Dublin, the FAI appear open to travelling for games.
And the meeting with the Turks on Friday, March 23 will be Ireland’s first away friendly since O’Neill’s first double-header as manager – a gathering in November 2013 that included a trip to Poland. Ireland have played friendlies on foreign soil but they have been on neutral territory arranged by a third party.
This is a straightforward case of travelling to the Turks’ patch, and the only other confirmed date on the 2018 calendar is a May date with France in Paris.
There is a one-in-four chance that Ireland will draw Turkey in next month’s UEFA Nations League, but that has not deterred the FAI from going ahead and agreeing to the fixture.
Antalya is a resort city on the Mediterranean coast and O’Neill will use the game to bring together his squad for a warm-weather training camp. The stadium for the game is the home of Turkish top division side Antalyaspor.
Ireland will travel on Monday, March 19 and spend the week in the area before playing the game. O’Neill is expected to bring a squad featuring fresher faces with question marks hanging over the future of a number of senior players.
John O’Shea, Glenn Whelan and Wes Hoolahan are expected to step away from the international game, while question marks hang over the intentions of Jon Walters and Daryl Murphy.
Stephen Ward should be a major part of the next campaign but the Burnley left full-back looks set to miss out on the bulk of Burnley’s Christmas schedule.
Sean Dyche confirmed yesterday that the Dubliner is still struggling with a knee problem that should rule him out of tomorrow’s visit of Tottenham and the Stephen’s Day encounter with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, Scunthorpe are preparing to make a bid for Dubliner Eoin Doyle who looks set to leave Preston on a permanent basis in January.
Doyle has scored 14 goals on loan for Oldham in League One and their divisional rivals Scunthorpe are keen to bring him in.
“We have looked at Eoin but I am guessing every manager in League One and the Championship have looked at him,” said Scunthorpe boss Graham Alexander.
“We know of him and his talent is undoubted. I am guessing a lot of clubs will be interested in a player of that type.”
Oldham will also lose loanee Jack Byrne if he is summoned back by Wigan, but Patrick McEleney’s imminent arrival from Dundalk will guarantee an Irish presence.