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Harte returns to Irish squad for FIH Pro League finale

David Harte is the only change to the Irish hockey squad
David Harte is the only change to the Irish hockey squad

David Harte returns to the Irish hockey squad for the final round of matches in this season's FIH Pro League Series.

Head coach Mark Tumilty has named his 20-man squad to travel to London to take on Germany and Great Britain in the last round of four matches, with experienced goalkeeper Harte returning to the fold after winning the Hoofdklasse championship with Kampong last week and replaces Mark Ingram.

Following a successful series in Antwerp where Ireland recorded two wins over a Belgium side ranked second in the world, Ireland travel to the Lee Valley Centre - the venue for the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup when Ireland won silver - the side go into this game full of confidence.

Jamie Carr, Luke Madeley and Sean Murray won the Belgian championship with Gantoise, while Kyle Marshall won the English championship with Old Georgians.

Peter Brown and Johnny McKee tasted domestic success with Banbridge, winners of the EY Hockey League.

The four-game series gets underway on Saturday, 1 June against Great Britain with a 12.15pm start. The following day Ireland take on Germany with a 10am start.

The second game is on Sunday 2nd June against Germany with a 10:00 a.m. start.

Monday and Tuesday are rest days for Ireland with the third game taking place on Wednesday against Germany (5.45pm) before the series concludes against Great Britain on Thursday, 6 June, with an 8pm push-back.

"There's a reduced squad for London, to give players an opportunity for pitch time in preparation for Paris," Tumilty said. "I am bringing 19 players from Antwerp and David Harte comes in."

Speaking about the upcoming Olympics selection, he added: "The hardest part of the job is deciding who to bring and who to leave out. We can only take 16 players to Paris, with a goalkeeping reserve and two outfield reserves on stand-by.

"Those players can only be brought in if there's a tournament ending injury and that would be a permanent switch in that event. That's a change from the arrangements in the previous Olympics."

Ireland squad: David Harte (GK), Jaime Carr (GK), Shane O’Donoghue, Kyle Marshall, Luke Madeley, Peter McKibbin, Mark McNellis, Daragh Walsh, Nick Page, Tim Cross, Jonny Lynch, Sean Murray (C), Peter Brown, Michael Robson, Ali Empey, Johnny McKee, Ben Walker, Ben Johnson, Matthew Nelson, Jeremy Duncan

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