Town winger Dylan Connolly could win his fourth U21 international cap this evening when the Republic of Ireland youngsters take on Andorra in their first Euro 2017 qualifying round fixture in Waterford.
Connolly, 19, joined the Blues in January having left his former club Shelbourne at the end of the Irish season in November and has already been on the first team bench on a number of occasions.
Speaking last week, manager Mick McCarthy said Connolly isn't far away from a first-team debut: "He is. I think Dylan’s going to be a really good player for us. He played up front in the U21s game [against Colchester a fortnight ago] and did really well.
"I think he’s going to be a really good player, a good right winger for us. He’s very, very quick, very direct, brave with the ball, he wants to take people on and he’s a good supplier of crosses. He’s getting closer.”
Republic of Ireland U21s: Daniel Rogers (Aberdeen), Ian Lawlor (Manchester City), Jack Connors (Dagenham & Redbridge), Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers), Sean Kavanagh (Fulham), Thomas Hoban (Watford), Glen Rea (Brighton & Hove Albion),
Kenneth McEvoy (Tottenham Hotspur), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Shamir Goodwin (Brighton & Hove Albion), Sean Maguire (West Ham United), Callum O’Dowda (Oxford United), Sean Long (Reading), Pierce Sweeney (Reading), Dylan Connolly (Ipswich Town), Conor Wilkinson (Bolton Wanderers), Lee Desmond (St Patrick’s Athletic), Jack Byrne (Manchester City).