Hibs star receives first International call-up alongside countryman as Leith duo set for Nations League action
Hibees have been selected for international duty
Hibs striker Owen Elding has received his first international call-up for the Republic of Ireland, where he’ll join club teammate Jamie McGrath ahead of their Nations League fixtures.
Elding was born in Boston, England but qualifies to play for Ireland through residency, having lived there from the age of six until he left Sligo Rovers for Hibs in January. Midfielder McGrath is now a fully-fledged member of his national side, having already accrued 15 caps.
In a clean sweep for Hibs’ Irish trio, Jacob Devaney was also called up to the Under-21 squad. The Manchester United loanee has already made nine appearances for the young Boys in Green and has been an integral part of their European Championships qualification campaign.
Irish Hibees reporting for international duty
Elding has become a fan favourite at Easter Road this season, scoring three goals and registering one assist in his nine appearances so far. The 20-year old has now caught the eye of Ireland boss Heimer Hallgrimson, who’s now held the position over two years.
Ireland kick start their UEFA Nations League campaign with two tricky away games against Kosovo and Isreal on September 24 and 27 respectively, before back-to-back home games at the Aviva Stadium. Elding, McGrath and co will face Austria on October 1 then Israel in the reverse fixture on October 4.
The Ireland team are looking to bounce back in Group B4 after the disappointment of their World Cup qualification play-off defeat on penalties to Czechia in March. While a few new faces have been brought into the camp for their next chapter, former captain Seamus Coleman didn’t want to be selected due to the fact he’s currently without a club, according to Hallgrimson. The 37-year old ended his 17-year association with Everton last year and didn’t want to take a position in the team away from young players like Elding.
Devaney’s Under-21s will head to Slovakia before hosting Kazakhstan in qualification group D. After that, they’ll host rivals England at Munster Park in Cork, however the fixture may not have as much needle as expected, with qualification out of reach for the Boys in Green and their opponents likely to be already through.