Heimir Hallgrímsson Reshapes Ireland with Young Talent
Heimir Hallgrímsson is wasting no time reshaping Ireland in his image. And he is starting at the very bottom of the age ladder.
At La Finca in Spain, the Republic of Ireland manager has now drafted in a second member of last year’s under-17 World Cup squad, with Newcastle United midfielder Rory Finneran joining Benfica forward Jaden Umeh at the senior camp.
Two teenagers. Both uncapped. Both suddenly a step away from full international debuts.
Finneran fast-tracked
Finneran’s rise has been sharp and unapologetic. Born in Manchester, the 18-year-old first caught wider attention when Blackburn Rovers sent him into an FA Cup tie against Cambridge United in January 2024. At 15 years, 10 months and eight days, he became the club’s youngest ever player.
That kind of record tends to follow a footballer around. Now it has carried him into a senior Ireland squad at a sun-drenched training base in Spain, where Hallgrímsson is clearly prepared to accelerate the pathway from youth to full international level.
The pair of Finneran and Umeh now train and live alongside established Championship and Premier League professionals, knowing a strong week could end with a first cap against Grenada in Murcia next Saturday.
Disruption and opportunity
The call-ups come against a backdrop of withdrawals that have chipped away at the original travelling party.
Cardiff City defender Joel Bagan and Ipswich Town winger Kasey McAteer are the latest to pull out of the warm-weather camp. They join Bosun Lawal, Jimmy Dunne and Gavin Bazunu on the absentee list, while Sammie Szmodics, Harvey Vale and Jack Taylor have been deliberately rested.
The absences open doors. Hallgrímsson has responded by leaning into youth and flexibility rather than scrambling for like-for-like replacements. The message is clear: if you are fit, in form and ambitious, there is a lane into this squad.
Before Grenada, Ireland will tune up against Real Murcia at Estadio Nueva Condomina on Wednesday, using the local club side as a live rehearsal for the first official fixture of this international window.
Bigger tests on the horizon
This Spanish camp is only the first act. A fresh squad will be named on Sunday week for two further friendlies: Qatar in Dublin on May 28th and Canada in Toronto on June 6th.
That expanded group is expected to carry a heavier Premier League flavour, with Everton defender Jake O’Brien and Brentford pair Nathan Collins and Caoimhín Kelleher among those likely to feature. The competition for places will stiffen; these days in Spain may prove crucial for those trying to stake an early claim.
For now, this is Hallgrímsson’s Grenada group:
- Goalkeepers: Max O’Leary (West Bromwich Albion), Josh Keeley (Luton Town), Killian Cahill (Leyton Orient).
- Defenders: Dara O’Shea (Ipswich Town), Eiran Cashin (Blackburn Rovers – loan), James Abankwah (Watford), Mark McGuinness (Sheffield United), Tayo Adaramola (Sheffield Wednesday – loan).
- Midfielders: Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Conor Coventry (Charlton Athletic), Andrew Moran (Preston North End), Rory Finneran (Newcastle United).
- Forwards: Adam Idah (Swansea City), Tom Cannon (Sheffield United), Chiedozie Ogbene (Sheffield United – loan), Millenic Alli (Portsmouth), Jack Moylan (Lincoln City), Aidomo Emakhu (Oxford United), Jaden Umeh (Benfica).
Ireland face Grenada at Estadio Nueva Condomina on May 16th, a 5pm kick-off in Ireland, 6pm local time. For Finneran and Umeh, it could be the night a World Cup at under-17 level gives way to the real thing.
