Eoin Kenny, son of former Republic of Ireland manager Stephen, called up for Northern Ireland
Portsmouth forward Eoin Kenny, son of former Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny , has received a first senior Northern Ireland call-up alongside Manchester United goalkeeper Dermot Mee as Michael O’Neill ’s side eye promotion in the Nations League . Kenny (20) and Mee (23) are included in a 25-man squad for this month’s fixtures at home to Ukraine (November 14th) and away to Hungary (November 17th). O’Neill’s side go into the double-header top of Group B2 after coming through their opening four fixtures as the only side in the competition yet to concede a goal. They remain without Liverpool’s Conor Bradley and Preston midfielder Ali McCann, while Dan Ballard is among five players to drop out of the squad having suffered a hamstring injury in the opening win over Georgia. Also out are the injured Eoin Toal and Jamie McDonnell, while Dion Charles and former number one Bailey Peacock-Farrell drop to the standby list to make way for Mee and Kenny. Kenny has one goal in 11 appearances for the Northern Ireland under-21s having also represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level. He joined Portsmouth from Dundalk in July, but has made only one league appearance for so far. Mee, capped at underage level for Northern Ireland, is yet to make a senior appearance for United but has twice been on the bench for Michael Carrick’s side this season in Champions League fixtures against Sabah and Atlético Madrid. Their inclusion at the expense of Charles (31) and Peacock-Farrell (30) once again emphasises the youth in O’Neill’s current crop. The side that started the 3-0 win over Ukraine last month had an average age of 22. Northern Ireland sit one point clear of second-placed Hungary and four points ahead of third-placed Ukraine. A first-place group finish would earn automatic promotion to League A, while second place leads to a playoff against a side in danger of dropping down from the top division. Northern Ireland Nations League squad Pierce Charles (QPR, on loan from Manchester City), Conor Hazard (Wycombe), Dermot Mee (Manchester United); Ciaron Brown (Oxford), Brodie Spencer (Oxford), Paddy McNair (Hull), Trai Hume (Sunderland), Ruairi McConville (Norwich), Terry Devlin (Portsmouth), Tom Atcheson (Blackburn), Michael Forbes (Dundee United); Ethan Galbraith (Stoke City), Justin Devenny (Stoke City), Shea Charles (Fulham), Isaac Price (West Brom), Paul Smyth (QPR), Jordan Thompson (Preston), Patrick Kelly (Barnsley), Kieran Morrison (Sheffield Wednesday, on loan from Liverpool); Josh Magennis (Stevenage), Callum Marshall (Luton), Jamie Donley (Luton, on loan from Tottenham), Braiden Graham (Everton), Ceadach O’Neill (Arsenal), Eoin Kenny (Portsmouth).