MY ACCOUNT
Stephen Kenny is ushering in a new era for the Republic of Ireland.
The Boys in Green have struggled in the Nations League since the competition’s inception but a fresh generation of stars are bidding to change their country’s fortunes.
And what better way to make a statement than by securing victory in this evening’s clash with Scotland in Dublin.
We take a look at five players who could make an impact at the Aviva Stadium.
Nathan Collins
Burnley centre-back Nathan Collins endured a slow start to life in Lancashire following his £12million move from Stoke last summer.
However, he ended the 2021-22 campaign in the Clarets’ starting XI — amassing a total of 18 league starts across the season.
It is easy to understand why Kenny has selected him for Ireland in recent months. The 21-year-old ranks in the 97th percentile for aerial duels won and the 92nd percentile for expected goals among centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year.
He is a man-mountain and a threat in the opposition penalty box — the perfect skill set for this type of competition.
The 6ft 4in defensive colossus was particularly vocal after last week’s 1-0 defeat to Armenia, claiming it could be a good thing in the long run.
He said: “In a way, it’s probably good for us as we’ve been on a high lately. And now we know we need a reaction, so if we get that it should be good for us.”
Caoimhin Kelleher
Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher impressed when named in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI last term — most notably pulling off a string of saves in the Carabao Cup final before scoring the winning penalty at Wembley.
Klopp described him as the best No2 in the world. However, the problem for the Reds is that he might now be too good for such a role.
When asked about his future earlier this week, the Cork native refused to commit to an answer.
He said: “I’m still finishing this season and then we will have conversations after that to see what happens.
“I need to play these few games and see what happens with these and maybe decide after that. I’m not sure on what’s happening yet.”
A big performance against Steve Clarke’s side could be all that is required for a team to make a move for the 23-year-old.
Josh Cullen
Josh Cullen has climbed his way up the ranks in unorthodox fashion — making a name for himself in Belgium with Anderlecht.
A product of the West Ham academy, the defensive midfielder turned out for Bolton, Bradford City and Charlton on loan before eventually moving to Brussels.
He has impressed at Lotto Park and finished the 2021-22 campaign with an impressive 87.4% pass completion rate.
The Southend native will have to battle with John McGinn in the centre of the park today — and the winner of that contest could well determine the match’s outcome.
Linked with Sheffield United and a return to the London Stadium, this could be the perfect platform for the 26-year-old to show that he is ready to move back to England.
Troy Parrott
Highly-rated Tottenham youngster Troy Parrott finally is coming off the back of his first full season of first-team football.
After loan spells with Millwall and Ipswich during the 2020-21 campaign, the 20-year-old spent last term with MK Dons, where he racked up 47 appearances across all competitions and scored ten goals in the process.
The 6ft 2in forward has great feet for a player of his size and is much more than simply a pure No9 — often dropping deep and working the channels.
Parrott’s all-round game is impressive and he has the attributes required to cause plenty of problems for this evening’s opponents.
Chiedozie Ogbene
Chiedozie Ogbene is the wildcard option that every team needs.
Direct, tricky and at times unplayable, the 25-year-old Rotherham winger has the ability to change the outcome of a game almost single-handedly.
His aggressive approach will cause plenty of full-backs a lot of problems — including Andrew Robertson who, if truth be told, is not in the best form for Scotland right now.
That side of the pitch could be where today’s game is won or lost.
