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Trap adds fresh blood to Irish Squad

Giovanni Trapattoni has included eight fresh new faces for the Republic of Ireland’s training camp this summer.

Stephen Ward, the 24 year old Wolves left back, who comes from Portmarnock, finally received his call up after being hailed by his Premier League and former Ireland boss Mick McCarthy.

Other new faces include Brian Murphy. The 26 year old Ipswich goalkeeper now has his chance to impress after Shay Given’s unfortunate shoulder injury suffered in Manchester City’s stalemate against Arsenal.

The City stopper will find it tough to be back to full fitness and could possibly rule him out for the start of Ireland’s Euro 2012 qualifying campaign against Armenia in September this year.

Ireland’s reshuffle in defence is set to continue with the highly rated Marc Wilson coming in to challenge for a place in the Irish back four which recently has been dominated by Séan St. Ledger and Aston Villa’s Richard Dunne.

Paul McShane may now even find it tough to keep up with the 22 year old Portsmouth regular Wilson after the Lurgan man has had an impressive season.

Fatima Mansion’s own Andy Reid is once again excluded from the international set-up, an exclusion which frustrates both him and his club manager at Sunderland, Steve Bruce. Although Reid has been injured for the last while, there seems to be no reason why he shouldn’t feature in the Ireland set-up. Most armchair sports correspondents firmly believe that Reid has what it takes to add that extra element in what they would consider a lacklustre and uncreative Irish midfield.

Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan, the midfield pairing which worked together during that ill-fated World Cup Qualifying group will now have competition from Birmingham’s Keith Fahey, whose career included playing for St. Pat’s, and Sunderland’s David Meyler who has made many impressive cameo performances for Bruce’s Wearside outfit.

Unfortunately, there remains no Stephen Ireland in the squad. Trapattoni has once again played down reports that he is in talks with the Cork man citing that “I don’t’ want to talk about it. I speak with him and, after 24 hours, I read it in a paper.”

The Italian gaffer increased speculation of Ireland’s future saying that after talking with Roberto Mancini that maybe “he (Stephen Ireland) will go to Manchester United.”

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