JOHN Egan is back in the Republic of Ireland squad for the friendly clash with Turkey on March 23.
The son of the legendary Sneem and Kerry footballer, John Snr, he has been making his mark with Championship side Brentford and he is considered one of the most talented and consistent centre half backs in the division.
Although he was born and reared in Cork, John Jnr is proud of his Kerry roots and his family are greatly loved in Sneem where there is a monument erected in memory of his father, one of the greatest corner forwards to ever play the game.
The 25-year-old defender, who previously lined out with Sunderland and had loan spells with Crystal Palace, Sheffield United, Bradford City, Southend United and Gillingham, made six appearances for the Republic of Ireland at Under 21 level and his performances caught the eye of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane who quickly promoted him to senior level.
He was included in the squad for the crucial World Cup qualifier against Wales last March.
Egan is expected to make his mark in what is very much a transitional year for Ireland which will see them play friendlies against France and the United States during the summer before the Nations League kicks off in September.
That will be followed by two more friendlies with Poland and Northern Ireland, Martin O’Neill has made the move to include some new players in the 30-man squad who will fly to Turkey for a three-day training camp on March 19.
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