Kelly snub for new-look Irish
READING midfielder Liam Kelly has told Martin O’Neill he wants to keep his options open in case England come calling and has declined a call-up to the Irish squad.
The 22-year-old was named in an initial 30-man party for the Republic’s training camp near Antalya ahead of Friday’s friendly against Turkey. But O’Neill said Basingstokeborn Kelly, who represented Ireland at Under-18 and Under-21 level, declined the offer.
“Liam was born in England and wants to keep those options open and that’s fine,” said O’Neill.
“I’ve always said it’s the player’s choice, and if he wants to think that England might come in, that’s entirely his decision.”
Asked if he had spoken to the player, who had twice before been named in provisional squads, O’Neill said: “I did actually leave a message or two and he got back by text.”
Kelly was one of a new group to whom O’Neill had turned as he attempts to reshape his squad after missing out on World Cup qualification. If the Irish manager was disappointed, it did not come as a surprise. “When we went into the squad, he had not returned a lot of calls coming through,” he said. There are eight uncapped players travelling – Aaron McCarey, Kieran O’Hara, Matt Doherty, Declan Rice, Darragh Lenihan, Derrick Williams, Enda Stevens and Scott Hogan.
Only Newcastle’s Ciaran Clark sat out training yesterday, having played in a friendly against Royal Antwerp on Sunday.