Thomastown’s Colm Whelan is on the Republic of Ireland Under-21 squad who play their final away game of 2021 when they meet Montenegro in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship Group F qualifier this afternoon (Tuesday 4.30 pm Irish time)
Ireland goes into the game on the back of Friday night’s 2-0 win over Luxembourg at Tallaght Stadium and will return to the south Dublin venue next month for crucial home qualifiers against Sweden and Italy.
Just 500 fans are expected at the Gradski Stadion in Podgorica as Ireland seeks to build on their wins against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Luxembourg and a draw away to Luxembourg so far in Group F.
Ireland flew to Montenegro with a 29-man squad following changes to the UK’s red list categorisation which allowed Jim Crawford to travel with all but five of the players who featured in the squad for the Luxembourg game.
Republic of Ireland Under-21 Squad
Goalkeepers: Brian Maher (Bray Wanderers), Luke McNicholas (Cliftonville, on loan from Sligo Rovers), David Odumosu (Drogheda United)
Defenders: Joel Bagan (Cardiff City), Ronan Boyce (Derry City), Josh Honohan (Cork City), Andy Lyons (Bohemians), Mark McGuinness (Cardiff City), Niall Morahan (Sligo Rovers), Jake O’Brien (Crystal Palace), Lee O’Connor (Tranmere Rovers, on loan from Celtic), Andrew Quinn (Bray Wanderers, on loan from Dundalk), Luke Turner (Cliftonville, on loan from Aberdeen)
Midfielders: Conor Coventry (Peterborough United, on loan from West Ham United), Dawson Devoy (Bohemians), Alex Gilbert (Swindon Town, on loan from Brentford), Gavin Kilkenny (Bournemouth), Conor Noss (Borussia Möchengladbach), Killian Phillips (Drogheda United), Ross Tierney (Bohemians)
Forwards: Evan Ferguson (Brighton & Hove Albion), Will Ferry (Crawley Town, on loan from Southampton), Brandon Kavanagh (Bray Wanderers), Joshua ‘JJ’ Kayode (Rotherham United), Johnny Kenny (Sligo Rovers), Liam Kerrigan (UCD), Andrew Moran (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ollie O’Neill (Fulham), Colm Whelan (UCD)