Academy striker Ronan Murray is hoping he can help the Republic of Ireland U19s qualify for the European Championships over the course of the next week as they travel to Belgium to play in their elite qualifying group.

Murray says reaching the finals, which will be played in Ukraine in July, is a huge incentive: "It's a big motivation to play in these qualifying matches because the prize of representing Ireland at the U19 European Championships in massive.

"We've avoided the bigger nations in the draw and it's to us to perform and prove we're capable of winning the group.

"The mood in the camp very good and we have the quality to do it. The preparation has been first class, we came away to Enfield for a three-day training camp and it really focused us on the task.”

Murray, 17, is the only Town player in the final squad with keeper Ian McLoughlin having been named on a preliminary list.

The striker says his good form towards the end of the season helped him win a place in the party for the matches in Belgium: "Similar to most of this squad, I'm still eligible to play at U19 level again next season. I took my chance to show what I could do in the friendly matches away to Slovakia at the end of March and I'm confident in my own ability to step up to this level.

"I've just completed my first year at Ipswich Town [as a full-time academy scholar] by progressing to the reserves and my confidence was boosted by scoring a few goals near the end of the season.”

The Republic of Ireland U19s start their elite qualifying group campaign with a game against the hosts at Tongeren on Friday, then take on Switzerland at the same venue on Sunday before completing their fixtures next Wednesday with a match against Sweden at Tessenderio.

Republic of Ireland U19s: Kieron Thorp (Crystal Palace), Lanre Oyebanjo (Histon), Callum O'Connor (Blackburn Rovers), Gavin Gunning (Blackburn Rovers), Callum Morris (Newcastle United), Damian McCrory (Plymouth Argyle), Richie Towell (Celtic), Conor Hourihane (Sunderland), Conor Clifford (Chelsea), Gearoid Morrissey (Blackburn Rovers), Conor Henderson (Arsenal), Aaron Doran (Blackburn Rovers), Jamie Devitt (Hull City), Ronan Murray (Ipswich Town), Sean Scannell (Crystal Palace), James Collins (Aston Villa), Greg Cunningham (Manchester City).

Photo: Action Images

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