Gareth McAuley names Northern Ireland under-19 squad for Euros prep tournament as he hails pool of players at his disposal

Northern Ireland men’s under-19 team boss Gareth McAuley has named his squad for the upcoming games against Portugal, Czechia and Hungary.
By Johnny McNabb
Published 12th Nov 2023, 11:34 BST
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The U19s are set to play the three nations in a preparation tournament ahead of the UEFA Men’s Under-19 European Championship 2024, which is being hosted by the Irish FA.

Northern Ireland’s three matches in the four-team prep tournament are all being staged at Inver Park, home of Larne FC.

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First up they will face Hungary this Wednesday (November 15) followed by a game against the Czechs on Saturday, November 18. Their final game is against Portugal on Tuesday, November 21. All three games at Inver Park will kick off at 7pm.

Northern Ireland Under-19's manager Gareth McAuley has named his squad for upcoming games against Portugal, Czechia and Hungary.Northern Ireland Under-19's manager Gareth McAuley has named his squad for upcoming games against Portugal, Czechia and Hungary.
Northern Ireland Under-19's manager Gareth McAuley has named his squad for upcoming games against Portugal, Czechia and Hungary.

As hosts Northern Ireland will qualify directly for the U19 Euros next summer, the Irish FA is staging the preparation tournament this month.

Speaking after announcing his squad, McAuley told Northern Ireland’s social media channel: “It’s great to have the opposition we have; the stronger, the better.

“It’s what the kids are going to face when we get to the finals in July as the best of the best in Europe will be coming.

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"This crop of players will be in or around the senior team around 2028, where we will be hosting the Euros in Northern Ireland.

"It’s a journey for them and it would be great if the supporters came out and lived that journey with them.

"It will certainly give them that early connection with the Green and White Army, and that would be fantastic to see.

"The group of players that I have is exciting and I enjoy working with them.

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"There’s probably two players as equally as good as each other in every position.”

Northern Ireland U19 squad:

Goalkeepers – Pierce Charles (Sheffield Wednesday), Mason Munn (Rangers).

Defenders – Ruairi McConville (Brighton and Hove Albion), George Goodman (Bradford City), Gallagher Lennon (St Mirren), Tom Atcheson (Blackburn Rovers), Josh Briggs (West Ham United), Sean Brown (Larne), Brendan Hamilton (Aberdeen), Joel Thompson (Nottingham Forest), Phoenix Scholtz (MK Dons).

Midfielders – Rio Morgan (Ipswich Town), Lewis Trickett (Accrington Stanley), Ryan Donnelly (Leicester City), Francis Turley (Celtic), Jack Doherty (Fleetwood Town), Blaine McClure (Rangers), Corey Smith (Larne).

Forwards – Kieran Morrison (Liverpool), Devlan Moses (Sheffield Wednesday), Reece Evans (Leicester City), Sam Glenfield (Fleetwood Town).

Related topics:HungaryPortugalLarne FC