From making the team hotel feel like home to bumping into Lee Carsley in the Croatian countryside, this is the story of this month’s Ireland U-21 camp in Zagreb
With the hosts aiming for their fourth successive Euros finals, and England’s U-20 side boasting names like Jobe Bellingham, the two clashes proved ideal tests to help the Young Boys in Green prepare for the pressure that will fall on their shoulders when they face Turkey, Latvia, Norway and Italy this autumn.
Ireland have never qualified for a European Championship at U-21 level before, and having gone just a penalty shoot-out away from making history in the last campaign, they’ll hope to break that glass ceiling in just a couple of months’ time.
From flying out to Zagreb with the squad, covering both games in Vrbovec, speaking to players and staff inside the team hotel and even bumping into Lee Carsley in the Croatian countryside, this is a look behind the scenes of the Ireland U-21s’ June camp.
Wednesday
With the players and staff assembling in Dublin at the start of the week, the morning begins with one final training session in Abbotstown before the squad depart for the Balkan nation.
Brighton’s Andrew Moran, Spurs’ Josh Keeley and Celtic’s Bosun Lawal have all linked up with their U-21 team-mates after being called up to train with John O’Shea’s senior squad in recent days, with Lawal even included on the bench for the Lansdowne Road win over Hungary the night before.
After warming up, the team are put through their paces in an 11 v 11 game with ex-Ireland defender and current U-21 assistant coach Paul McShane particularly vocal on the field, coaching defenders like Anselmo Garcia MacNulty and James Abankwah in playing out from the back, moving through the thirds and finding the forwards, with Aidomo Emakhu dropping deep to collect possession.
As a piercing wind swirls around Dublin 15, Shamrock Rovers’ Conan Noonan and Accrington Stanley’s Connor O’Brien are involved too, having each received their first U-21 call-ups, while down at the other end, French-based Ireland U-18 cap Noah Jauny is busy working with his fellow ’keepers and coach Richie Fitzgibbon, having been invited in to train with Crawford’s side before they leave for Croatia.
A drone flies overhead recording the session while the team moves down to the far end, as assistant Alan Reynolds runs through various set-piece routines, before the morning finishes with a frantic 7 v 7 game, as goals fly in left, right and centre. Then it’s back to the hotel to pack the bags for the evening flight to the Croatian capital.
Thursday
McShane and Keeley are first up for media duties after training. As the assistant coach looks ahead to tomorrow’s clash with the hosts, over his shoulder is a large framed poster of the team. On weeks like this when these young players are far away from home, he explains how the small details can make a huge difference in camp.
“The hotel is always decorated with [pictures of] games we’ve played over the last couple of years,” says McShane. “There’s always Ireland badges and flags. It’s good for the lads visually, instead of just having blank rooms. It’s to give them a little bit of a home from home, little reminders of why they are here.”
Connor O’Riordan of with supporters after the U-21 international friendly with Croatia
Friday
It’s match-day with all eyes on this evening’s 6.0pm kick-off. Vrbovec’s town stadium, a small third-tier ground an hour east of Zagreb, fills up quickly with the locals out in force to support their next generation of talent in the 28-degree heat.
But they are left disappointed as Crawford’s men race into a 3-0 lead with Moran, Emakhu and Sinclair Armstrong all on target. Despite the hosts pulling two back in the second half (helped by a baffling penalty decision by the local referee), Ireland hold on to kick the window off with a win.
“It’s a massive statement. It’s a credit to the lads, beating tough opposition like Croatia away home, it just shows we mean business, we want to qualify and be there next summer,” Emakhu tells the Irish Independent after the 3-2 victory.
Saturday
After yesterday’s thriller in piping hot conditions, the squad and staff enjoy a day off. “We have booked to go to a lake, which will be a fantastic few hours out. The players will enjoy that and then we’ll have a meal together in Zagreb then,” Crawford explains.
“Friday was a proper performance from us, one of the best performances I’ve been involved in with the U-21s” adds Ireland captain Joe Hodge, who returns to Wolves this summer after a loan spell at QPR. “Coming here is always one of my favourite weeks of the year. We’ve got a really good thing going on, it’s an enjoyable place to be every day.”
Ireland’s Ollie O’Neill in action during the U-21 international friendly against Croatia. Photo: Vid Ponikvar/Sportsfile
Sunday
After putting the feet up yesterday, it’s back to work as the squad are put through their paces at a local training ground. Despite the 10.30am start, some locals watch on with beers in hand as the Irish forwards work through various attacking moves ahead of the England clash.
Ollie O’Neill, Tony Springett and Sam Curtis are busy firing in crosses towards the likes of Emakhu and Armstrong, while the goalkeeping contingent of Keeley, Tiernan Brooks (Notts County) and Killian Cahill (Brighton) pull off several fine saves in the heat.
The session again concludes with a frantic 7 v 7 game, while there’s also time for a couple of outfield players to try their hand between the sticks before the group hops on the bus back to the hotel.
After a quick shower it’s time for lunch with chicken and carbonara just some of the things on the menu today. Each player has their own nametag on the tables as they take to their seats, various messages and team principles are dotted around the dining room while the all-important Barry’s Tea bags lie beside the protein shakes and fruit at the other end of the room. After a perfect start to the trip, the vibe is good.
After lunch it’s time for some to see the physio as others go downstairs for a massage after the morning’s session.
Apart from Armstrong Oko-Flex missing the win over Croatia, Crawford has had a fully fit squad to choose from this week, as team doctor Mortimer O’Connor shares what it’s like to look after a party of 40-plus on weeks like this.
“You often get from people, ‘You are off on your holidays again!’, but in reality it’s a far cry from that. I’m a walking hospital for 25 players plus [and] a backroom staff of 15 to 20 people,” he tells the Irish Independent.
“People just think we are working from camp to camp, but in reality my contact with players and club is continuous. We have weekly contact with all of the players. It’s a very trusting relationship and that’s built up over time. I have worked with Stephen [Kenny] at U-21 and senior level and have been with Jim since U-18s.
“The players see that everything we do is for the good of the team. So the potential of some lads hiding injuries for the sake of getting into a squad, that really doesn’t happen. They see the bigger picture.
“I have worked with around 90pc of the current senior squad too. I’d know a lot of the players’ family lives and what’s going on at home. I suppose people just see the player as a player, but they are only a footballer for 90 minutes, they are a human being for the rest of the week.”
Monday
The morning is spent on the training pitch again as Crawford and his staff put the finishing touches to preparations for tomorrow’s clash with England’s U-20s. Back at the team hotel afterwards, U-21 lead analyst Liam McCartan takes the players through the game-plan, their shape and the threats Ben Futcher’s side will pose, but the main focus is on themselves.
“For England, I watched several of their previous games. When the players come in, it seems like it’s natural but all of the preparation is done weeks and months before,” Limerick native McCartan explains.
“Even now with Turkey in September, we are well on our way to having all of their recent games analysed. At the end of the day, you can do a lot of talking and have your meetings, but it’s all about the players understanding their jobs once they cross that white line.
“A match-day for me is actually one of the easiest days, because everything is done. It’s just time for the players to perform. Everything in our match-day meeting is all about us, we don’t really worry too much about the opposition. It’s about how we are going to win”
England U-21 head coach Lee Carsley watches the friendly between England U-20 and Ireland U-21 at Gradski Stadion, Croatia. Photo: Vid Ponikvar/Sportsfile
Tuesday
With England U-21 boss Lee Carsley watching on, Ireland come from behind to earn an impressive draw against the Three Lions. Oko-Flex strikes an 89th-minute leveller after Hodge’s fine opener on five minutes, as Crawford’s men ended the week on a high.
Before the game Crawford signalled he would rotate his squad as he made eight changes from the Croatia win. Irish quartet Cahill, O’Brien, Mark O’Mahony and Alex Murphy all made their first U-21 starts while Noonan came off the bench to win his first cap at any age level.
“The two games were huge tests, but to come here and go unbeaten shows the character this group has. They have unbelievable potential. There’s certainly a bright future,” said Crawford after the 2-2 draw in Vrbovec.
“It’s four massive games [coming up]. Do I believe we can do it? I certainly do. We just need all of our arrows pointing in the right direction.”
After a week in the Croatian heat with two good performances in the bag, all eyes are now on the autumn where the Young Boys in Green will look to write their own names into the history books. Destiny awaits.