Republic of Ireland Under-19 boss Sean McCaffrey has named Sunderland's Anthony Stokes in his squad for the upcoming UEFA Elite phase qualifying series.
McCaffrey's charges will face Hungary, Germany and Bulgaria. The team that finished top of the phase will advance to the Under-19 European Championship Finals this summer.
Apart from Irish senior international Stokes, who has scored 16 times this season during spells with Falkirk and Sunderland, McCaffrey has been able to call upon seven other players to have already sampled first-team football with their clubs.
Captain Eddie Nolan along with Michael Spillane, Robert Bayly, Stephen Gleeson, Adam Rooney, Keith Treacy and Cillian Sheridan have all featured in league action, while many other squad members are pressing for a breakthrough at club level.
Ireland will open their group against Bulgaria on Monday, 14 May, followed two days later when they host Germany. They conclude the series on Saturday, 19 May when they meet Hungary. Both games are at Drogheda United's United Park.
Ireland Under-19 squad: Stephen Henderson (Aston Villa), Shane Redmond (Notts Forest), Simon Madden (Leeds Utd), Scott Davies (Reading), Edward Nolan (Blackburn Rovers), Michael Spillane (Norwich City), Darren Dennehy (Everton), Shane Lowry (Aston Villa), Alan Judge (Blackburn Rovers), Alan Power (Notts Forest), Stephen Gleeson (Wolves), Matthew Cassidy (Bolton Wanderers), Robert Bayly (Leeds United), Keith Treacy (Blackburn Rovers), Adam Rooney (Stoke City), Aidan Downes (Everton), Anthony Stokes (Sunderland), Cillian Sheridan (Celtic).
