Republic of Ireland Under-17 boss Colin O'Brien has sent a rallying cry to the Green Army ahead of the looming UEFA European Championships.
Ireland is hosting the tournament from May 3-19 across seven different venues and O'Brien has urged fans to turn out in force for the clashes with Greece (3 May, Tallaght Stadium), Czech Republic (6 May, the RSC), and Belgium (9 May, Tallaght Stadium).
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Speaking on the Greatest League in the World podcast, O'Brien said home advantage will only come into play if his side get a strong and partisan backing.
"It's massive. I can't stress it enough to the public, this really is the biggest competition that they can play in," he said.
"It's the best of the best in Europe coming to Ireland - there is going to be some serious quality on the doorstep and we have some quality in our team as well.
"Even for our own development, to play in front of an Irish crowd, getting behind the team, we know how well our supporters get behind our teams, and we really need that. We will need that 12th man, because tournament football is demanding - you have three games in seven days.
"Every bit of support we can get, whether it is in Tallaght or coming down to the RSC, come out and support us."
O'Brien is finalising plans for what will be his third successive finals tournament at this level and he is excited by the opportunity afforded to his young players.
UEFA European Under-17 Championships - Fixtures
Friday, 3 May: Republic of Ireland v Greece, Tallaght Stadium, 7pm
Monday, 6 May: Republic of Ireland v Czech Republic, RSC, Waterford, 7pm
Thursday, 9 May: Republic of Ireland v Belgium, Tallaght Stadium, 7pm
