Bohemians’ Glen Crowe will become the first League of Ireland player to play for the Republic of Ireland since 1986 when he lines out in the friendly against Greece in Athens on Wednesday.
Caretaker manager Don Givens will not name his team until tomorrow but he has confirmed that he will start the Bohs striker alongside Gary Doherty in attack. The last Irish-based player to represent Ireland at senior level was Shamrock Rovers' Pat Byrne, when he played against Czechoslovakia 16 years ago. Crowe, who has scored 17 goals for his club this season, is one of two eircom League players in Givens’ 18-man squad - Shelbourne's Wes Houlihan also getting a late call-up following a spate of withdrawals. Coventry pair Richie Partridge, who is on loan from Liverpool, and Barry Quinn are also included.
Amongst those who have pulled out are Tottenham's Stephen Carr and Robbie Keane, Leeds' Gary Kelly and Ian Harte, Aston Villa's Mark Kinsella, Arsenal's Graham Barrett, Sunderland's Kevin Kilbane, Newcastle's Andy O'Brien, Blackburn's Damien Duff, Birmingham's Clinton Morrison and, controversially, Wimbledon's David Connolly.
Givens reckons Connolly rejected the chance to play against Greece because he was not selected in the original squad, but Connolly has denied this: “Don has said I've refused to play for my country and I find that terrible because I never would do that,” Connolly said. “It has taken me by surprise and I'm very disappointed. I came off near the end of Saturday's game suffering from a sore heel. I've had stitches in it and some of the stitches have been coming out. After the game it was decided if I was selected I would not be going and the club said that is what they would tell the FAI if they rang. As it turned out Don rang me on Saturday night and asked me `are you fit?'. I asked him why he wanted to know and he said he wanted to call me into the squad. I asked him why I wasn't in the original squad and he said `I choose the squad'. I said I felt I should have been in the original squad. Don said, `do you want to play or not?' and, before I could explain - `no, I'm injured' - he heard the word `no' and ended the conversation. If it wasn't for the stitches in my heel I would have been there like a shot and if they (the FAI) had spoken to my club none of this would have happened.”
Givens said he made a written note of the conversation after he got off the phone. His version of events is: "The conversation on the phone on Saturday evening went: 'Hello David, it's Don Givens. Are you fit?' He said: 'To what do I owe the honour of this phone call?' I said: 'I would like you to join the squad tomorrow?' He said: 'Why was I not selected in the original squad?' I said: 'David, that was the choice I made.' He said: 'I should be the number one striker for Ireland, not number five.' At that point I said to him: 'David, do you want to come tomorrow?' He said 'no' and I said: 'Right David, good luck' and put the phone down. That is all I have to say on the David Connolly issue and I don't want it to become a negative force for Wednesday for the boys here. I'd prefer to talk about the boys who are looking forward to being involved."
On the subject of the match, Givens added: "I would hope to achieve good individual performances, a good collective performance and a good result. I feel it is vital for us to get a good result on the back of two below-par performances from the boys. This is a chance for some of the players who have stepped into the squad to make their mark, and it could be an important night for somebody. The players looked full of life in training tonight and there doesn't appear to be a cloud hanging over them now."
Doherty missed training tonight because of a head cold and Matt Holland sat out the session because of an Achilles injury, but both players will be fit for Wednesday.
Filed by James Boylan.
