Central defender Alex Bruce has received his first call into a Republic of Ireland senior squad. Coach Steve Staunton, Jim Magilton's brother-in-law, has named a young party for two games in the USA later this month.

Ireland take on Ecuador in the Giants Stadium, New York on Wednesday, 23rd May and Bolivia on Saturday, 26th May at the Gillette Stadium, Boston, home of the New England Revolution where former Blue Paul Mariner is assistant coach.

Staunton says he wants to use the games to look at those on the verge of involvement in competitive fixtures: “This is an opportunity for players to stake a claim to be in the squad when the Euro 2008 campaign resumes in the autumn.

”It will give me and the management team a chance to look at these players up close and it will also give them valuable international experience”.

Bruce, who has previously won caps at U21 level, qualifies to play for Ireland via his Tyrone-born grandmother.

Republic of Ireland: Nicky Colgan (Barnsley), Wayne Henderson (Preston North End), Colin Doyle (Birmingham City), Stephen Kelly (Birmingham City), Paul McShane (West Bromwich Albion ), Seán St Ledger (Preston North End), Alex Bruce (Ipswich Town), Derek Geary (Sheffield Utd), Joseph O'Cearuill (Arsenal), John O'Shea (Manchester United), Kevin Kilbane (Wigan Athletic), Darren Potter (Wolves), Stephen Ireland (Manchester City), Stephen Hunt (Reading), Alan O'Brien (Newcastle United), Kevin Doyle (Reading), Shane Long (Reading), Caleb Folan (Wigan Athletic), Daryl Murphy (Sunderland), Stephen Elliott (Sunderland), Liam Miller (Sunderland), Anthony Stokes (Sunderland), Andy Keogh (Wolves).

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