Worthington calls up 10 uncapped players

May 21, 2009

Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington has called up 10 uncapped players into his squad for next months friendly against Italy.

5 of the 19 man squad come of from the Irish league, Alan Mannus is a squad regular but new recruits are Crusaders pair Colin Coates and Martin Donnelly, Coleraine’s Stephen Carson and Linfield midfielder Robert Garrett.

Craig Cathcart, Chris Casement, Shane Duffy, Shane Ferguson, Corry Evans and James Lawrie are the other new boys.

“It is nice that the more experienced players, David, Grant and Damien, want to be involved,” said Worthington.

“David and Damien have not played a lot of football while Grant wants to go despite being involved in a play-off final with Scunthorpe.

“Corry Evans is a player who has impressed me and he did particularly well in the B game against Scotland so he has earned his place in the panel.

“The other players I have chosen are the future of Northern Ireland football and they have a chance to show us what they can do.

“To the senior players who are missing, I have told them to enjoy their holiday, get themselves refreshed and I look forward to seeing them in August.”

Northern Ireland squad: Tuffey (Partick Thistle), Mannus (Linfield); Cathcart (Manchester Utd), Casement (Ipswich Town), Duffy (Everton), Coates (Crusaders), McGivern (Manchester City), Johnson (Birmingham City), O’Connor (unattached), Ferguson (Newcastle United), McGinn (Celtic), McCann (Scunthorpe Utd), Evans (Manchester Utd), Carson (Coleraine), Garrett (Linfield), Little (Rangers), Healy (Sunderland), Lawrie (Port Vale), Donnelly (Crusaders).

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