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07th Oct 2014

10 things you need to know about Ireland new boy Brian Lenihan

Some rise from the youngster, who got his first call up to the Irish senior squad this morning.

JOE

Some rise from the youngster, who got his first call up to the Irish senior squad this morning.

Just five weeks ago, Brian Lenihan was one of the hottest properties in the League of Ireland with a host of clubs reportedly after the Cork City full-back’s signature. Now he is a Premier League player and this morning he got called up to the Irish senior squad ahead of the game against Gibraltar.

Here are a few facts about the youngster, so you can dazzle your mates down the pub before the Gibraltar game.

1 Lenihan played his schoolboy football with Munster Senior League side College Corinthians. He signed with Cork City in 2012.

2 Lenihan made his debut the same season, against St Pat’s in August 2012, but he would only play three games that season.

3 In 2013 he would also only make three appearances for Cork, all from the bench.

4 Lenihan has represented Ireland at U19 and U21 level, playing in the recent 2-0 defeat by the U21’s to Germany.

5 He stands 6’2″, so he is a big unit for a full-back but according to his new boss Steve Bruce, he is ‘a really good athlete who can get up and down the pitch’.

6 His Hull City squad number is 31, but he has yet to make his debut in the first team.

7 2014 has been a sensational year for Lenihan, with 20 games for Cork leading to reported interest from the likes of Celtic, Arsenal and Aston Villa during the transfer window.

8 While no fee has been officially announced, it is believed to have cost Hull £200,000 to nab his services.

9 Lenihan has never scored in his professional career.

10 And if you want to feel old, Lenihan was 10 days old when Ray Houghton’s goal saw Ireland beat Italy at USA ’94.