Ipswich Town strikers Daryl Murphy and David McGoldrick have both been named in a 35-man Republic of Ireland squad ahead of their final warm-up match ahead of this summer’s European Championships, against Holland on May 27.
Murphy, 33, missed the last eight games of Town’s season with a slight calf tear, his absence coinciding with McGoldrick’s return to the team following a hamstring tear.
Having earned a recall to the international set-up during his 27-goal campaign of 2014/15, Murphy scored 10 times in 35 appearances as the Blues finished seventh in the Championship table this time around.
McGoldrick’s talismanic form during his first year at Portman Road saw Leicester City make a multi-million pound bid and Ireland call him up for the first time after discovering family links to the nation.
He’s since endured two seasons of stop-start injury frustration, all manner of set-backs keeping him sidelined, but the silky forward enjoyed a highly encouraging finish to the campaign, scoring two goals in the last two games to cap some influential displays.
Ireland boss Martin O’Neill will finalise his squad for the Euros the day after the Holland game ahead of a training camp at Fota Island, Cork, which will include a second friendly against Belarus, with the party due to head out to France on June 8.
Other forwards in the squad include 35-year-old skipper Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Jonathan Walters (Stoke), Shane Long (Southampton) and Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids).
Ireland are in a Group E alongside Belgium, Itlay and Sweden for the bumper 24-team tournament.
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