Standout Republic of Ireland players ahead of clash with England

The Republic of Ireland entertain England in what promises to be a tough opening Nations League League B clash on Saturday evening and here at Bettingsites.ie you can claim some exclusive Ireland  free bets when you register with any of our featured Irish football betting sites using the links provided. 

 

Standout Republic of Ireland players ahead of clash with England

Kick-off: 5pm, Saturday 7th September 2024. Aviva Stadium

 

The Republic of Ireland entertain England at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday evening, the first time the two nations have locked horns in a competitive game since 1991.

 

Thrilling win

Heimir Hallgrimsson will be in the dugout for the first time as Republic of Ireland manager when his new charges go head-to-head with 2024 European Championship finalists England at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening in their opening Nations League match. The Boys in Green will be bidding to build on their most recent home match where they managed a thrilling win over Hungary in a friendly, Troy Parrott scoring a late goal in a 2-1 victory.

 

Séamus Coleman

Preparations have been cranking up for what promises to be a high octane Nations League clash and Hallgrimsson will be relieved that he can call upon Séamus Coleman for this encounter, the captain sitting out training on Tuesday evening alongside fellow defender Andrew Omobamidele. Coleman sustained a calf injury in pre-season and given his age, he will need careful management of his training regime.

 

Evan Ferguson

Evan Ferguson endured a lengthy lay-off but he has been progressing well and should play a part in this match, the Brighton & Hove Albion striker joint-favourite to be the first Irish goalscorer at the Aviva Stadium alongside Celtic’s Adam Idah and Ipswich Town’s Sammie Szmodics at best odds of 14/1 apiece. Ferguson’s ankle injury kept him out of action since March but while he may not start this match, he will certainly play a part here.

 

Adam Idah

Adam Idah is the main contender to lead the line in place of Ferguson, the on-loan Celtic striker scoring nine goals in his nineteen matches for the Scottish champions and earning for himself a permanent move to Parkhead. New call-up Kasey McAteer should be a valuable addition to the squad with his pace, eye for goal and direct running making him a key asset, some bookmakers going best odds of 25/1 that he scores the opener at the Aviva Stadium this weekend.

 

Sammy Szmodics

Sammie Szmodics has been preparing for his competitive international debut this weekend, the 28-year-old having impressed while at Championship side Blackburn Rovers last term and earning for himself a £9million transfer to newly-promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town. He has found the back of the net for the Tractor Boys already – against defending champions Manchester City – and could be prove to be a pivotal figure in Hallgrimsson’s side.

 

New hope

Ireland can certainly cause problems for England this weekend and victory for the home side would go down as one of their best results in years. Indeed, even if a win isn’t forthcoming, a performance to lift the crowd at the Aviva Stadium and give new hope to the fans may be a decent return in the first outing of this new era.