Northern Ireland U21s: Nine Irish League players in squad
- Published
Portadown forward Lee Bonis has been rewarded for helping Portadown win promotion to the Irish Premiership
Andy Crosby has named nine Irish Premiership players in his first squad as Northern Ireland's Under-21s caretaker manager.
Linfield's Ross Larkin, Cliftonville's Aaron Donnelly and Portadown's Lee Bonis, along with Burnley's Christopher Conn, are named in the squad for the first time.
Bobby Burns, Barrow's under-21 regular, is missing through injury.
Northern Ireland face Malta and Denmark in Euro 2021 qualifiers next month.
Assistant to Ian Baraclough before his promotion to the senior job in June, Crosby has stuck with a familiar U21 squad for the fixtures away to Malta, on 4 September, and at home to Denmark four days later.
On top of the three debutants, the Irish League representation is made up of Glentoran trio Caolan Marron, Chris Gallagher and Paul O'Neill, Ballymena United defender Kofi Balmer, Portadown's Nathan Kerr and Linfield's Kyle McClean.
Derry City trio Nathan Gartside, defender Eoin Toal and Jake Dunwoody are all selected, as is David Parkhouse, who was on loan with the Candystripes last season.
Manchester United's Ethan Galbraith, Wolves' Jack Scott and Leeds United's Alfie McCalmont will provide Premier League pedigree.
In their five Euro qualifiers to date, Northern Ireland have managed three draws and suffered defeats away to Denmark U21s and Romania U21s.
Northern Ireland U21 squad:
Goalkeepers: Hazard (Celtic), Gartside (Derry City).
Defenders: Toal (Derry City), Marron (Glentoran), Balmer (Ballymena United), Scott (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Amos (Doncaster Rovers), Larkin (Linfield), Donnelly (Cliftonville), Kerr (Portadown).
Midfielders: McCalmont (Leeds United), Boyd-Munce (Birmingham City), Gallagher (Glentoran), McCann (St Johnstone), Dunwoody (Derry City), Galbraith (Manchester United), McClean (Linfield).
Forwards: Parkhouse (Sheffield United), O'Neill (Glentoran), Robinson (Motherwell), Bonis (Portadown), Conn (Burnley).