Sunderland's James McClean called into Republic of Ireland squad

Sunderland winger James McClean has been added to the Republic of Ireland squad to face the Czech Republic next week in Dublin.

It is a first senior call-up for the 22-year-old, who has been in superb form for the Black Cats.

McClean was surprisingly left out of the initial squad, although manager Giovanni Trapattoni said he would be called into the panel "in the future".

Derby midfielder Paul Green has also been drafted into the Republic squad.

Green scored in his first international start for the Republic, in the 3-0 win over Algeria two years ago.

Trapattoni indicated last month that he intended to stick with the players who had got the team to the Euro 2012.

It was believed that McClean's headline-grabbing performances had prompted a rethink by Trapattoni, but he was omitted for the clash against the Czechs.

Trapattoni revealed that he had spoken to McClean and assured him of a future call-up to the squad.

"I told him, '100 per cent you will be with us [in the future]'," said Trapattoni.

"But I want to consolidate the balance, the mentality of the squad in this game against the Czech Republic so we will use the players that qualified us for Euro 2012."

The 22-year-old's move from Derry City to the Wearside outfit, a £350,000 transfer from League of Ireland obscurity, went relatively unnoticed during a period of heavy recruitment at the Stadium of Light last summer. For the first four months of the season he did not make a first-team appearance.

That all changed when Martin O'Neill succeeded Steve Bruce in early December, with the new manager handing McClean his senior debut by bringing him off the bench in his second game in charge.

Republic of Ireland squad: Shay Given (Aston Villa), Keiren Westwood (Sunderland), David Forde (Millwall); John O'Shea (Sunderland), Stephen Kelly (Fulham), Stephen Ward (Wolves), Shane Duffy (Everton), Sean St Ledger (Leicester), Darren O'Dea (Leeds), Kevin Foley (Wolves); Glenn Whelan (Stoke), James McCarthy (Wigan), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Keith Andrews (West Brom), Keith Fahey (Birmingham), Darron Gibson (Everton), Damien Duff (Fulham), Aiden McGeady (Spartak Moscow), James McClean (Sunderland), Paul Green (Derby County), Stephen Hunt (Wolves); Robbie Keane (Aston Villa), Kevin Doyle (Wolves), Shane Long, Simon Cox (both West Brom), Jon Walters (Stoke)