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28th Feb 2012

So James McClean has to raise the Aviva roof to get into Euro 2012 reckoning

It seems that James McClean’s belated call-up to the Ireland squad for this week’s friendly might not be a declaration that he is in line for a place in the travelling party for Euro 2012 this summer.

JOE

It seems that James McClean’s belated call-up to the Ireland squad for this week’s friendly might not, after all, be a declaration that he is in line for a place in the travelling party for Euro 2012 this summer.

McClean has been the subject of a major public clamour following a series of impactful performances for Sunderland over the past three months.

The young Derry man’s omission from Gio Trap’s original squad for Wednesday’s game against the Czech Republic was greeted with shock among most Irish supporters.

He was subsequently and strangely added to the panel and is now expected to make his Ireland debut at some stage against the Czechs – but judging from the comments of Trap’s assistant manager Marco Tardelli on Monday evening, it still seems like a bit of a longshot that McClean will force his way into the 23 that jets off to Poland in June.

He said, “James McClean is a good player and I think for the future, he is good. But maybe it is possible if a player is injured – like at this moment, we have three or four players injured. Everything is possible.

“We have in our heads the players, but now we have discovered other new players and we have time to decide.

“Friendly matches are very important to see new players and to understand if they can go or not to the Euros. But I think these players are for the future.”

We have in our heads the players, indeed. So, James, you have to seriously impress this week. No pressure.