Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy has revealed Jack Byrne and Troy Parrott will both be in the starting eleven on Thursday against New Zealand.
Tottenham teenager Troy Parrott will have his first senior start in a green shirt as will Celtic defender Lee O'Connor. Byrne will earn his second cap after some excellent performances over the course of the League of Ireland season.
Against Bulgaria, Byrne drew admiration from fans in his half-hour cameo off the bench. A midfielder in a green shirt demanding the ball has become an all-too-rare sight for the Irish faithful.
The Shamrock Rovers midfielder should get plenty more possession from the start especially given the opposition. New Zealnd have not played since March 2018.
Mick McCarthy has confirmed that Troy Parrott and Lee O’Connor will make their international debuts with starting roles tomorrow for #IRLNZL🇮🇪🇳🇿
Jack Byrne will also be named in the starting team!
➡️ https://t.co/sa7BcXr5yt #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/omIqFRQN9h— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) November 13, 2019
Lee O'Connor will be making his first senior start for any team this season when he lines up on Thursday evening. O'Connor had performed well in Manchester United's underage setup but never made the breakthrough to the first team so moved to Celtic in September. He is yet to feature for the Hoops.
Rise
The rise continues for Parrott who only made his first appearance for Tottenham Hotspur against Colchester United in the Carabao Cup in late September. The teenage striker was also named on the bench in the Premier League for the Merseyside trip to Everton.
The clamour to include Parrott has been building for some time, especially given the lack of firepower in the Irish squad. The Boys in Green have only netted six times in seven qualifying games.
Mick McCarthy says he hopes Parrott can give him a selection headache:
"Let's hope he does it. let's hope he gets the goals and he plays really well. If he plays really well and he scores two goals, I might have a clamour in my own head to include him in the (Denmark) game as well. Fingers crossed he does that."
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