One of the biggest tasks ahead for Heimir Hallgrímsson in 2025 will be to push the Ireland squad towards the future.
His predecessor Stephen Kenny famously focused on youth and building a system for the future, and many of the players that he brought in remain part of this Ireland group.
It remains unclear how long Hallgrímsson will be in his role as Ireland head coach but he has spoken frankly about wanting to find a solid team that he can trust and building around that in the months (and years?) to come.
With that in mind, we’ve picked out five players who could be in line to make their senior debuts for Ireland under Hallgrímsson in the coming 12 months.
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Five players who could make their Ireland debut in 2025
Rocco Vata
10 September 2024; Rocco Vata of Republic of Ireland breaks clear from Kristers Penkevics of Latvia during the UEFA European U21 Championship qualifier match between Republic of Ireland and Latvia at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
One of the brightest young talents at Ireland’s disposal, Rocco Vata has steadily grown into an ever more important presence at Watford since moving to Vicarage Road from Celtic during the summer.
The standout moment thus far for Vata came over the festive period, as he snatched a dramatic injury-time winner against Portsmouth to properly announce his arrival. Though opportunities were limited in his first few months in North London, he has grown into his role, and his form for the Hornets has been very encouraging for Ireland fans.
Perhaps the biggest reason to give Vata a senior call-up is that his international allegiances remain up in the air. The 19-year-old was born in Glasgow and is eligible for both Albania and Montenegro, with his father a former Albanian international player. Vata’s Watford teammate Ryan Porteous recently admitted he is trying to convince the youngster to make the switch to Scotland.
Vata has consistently played for Ireland through the underage system, starring for the U21s during their heartbreaking quest to qualify for Euro 2025. All indications suggest he will continue in green at senior level – but calling him up in 2025 would remove any doubt.
Regardless of the eligibility concerns, Vata would also add some creativity that is sorely lacking in Ireland’s attack.
Conor Coventry
17 November 2024; Conor Coventry of Republic of Ireland before the UEFA Nations League B Group 2 match between England and Republic of Ireland at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Perhaps the most likely to earn his first cap on this list, Conor Coventry earned his first call-up to the Ireland senior squad at the tail end of 2024.
A near-ever-present for Charlton this season, Coventry was a late addition to the squad for the trip to Wembley as injury cover, though he did not come off the bench in the dismal 5-0 defeat to England.
He has been impressive at the base of midfield for League One side Charlton this season and could be an option worth exploring as Heimir Hallgrímsson seeks to find the right balance in midfield.
Coventry is clearly in Hallgrímsson’s thinking, given his November call-up, so it would be no surprise to see him make his senior debut in 2025.
Joe Hodge
11 June 2024; Joe Hodge of Republic of Ireland is tackled by Dane Scarlett of England during the international friendly match between England U20’s and Republic of Ireland U21’s at Gradski Stadion in Zagreb, Croatia. Photo by Vid Ponikvar/Sportsfile
Like Coventry, Joe Hodge was on the fringes of the Ireland senior squad throughout 2024.
The Manchester City academy product was called up to John O’Shea’s first squad in charge, sitting on the bench for March’s friendly doubleheader against Belgium and Switzerland. For the remainder of the year, he was apart from the squad while on duties captaining the U21 side, before injury issues ruled him out of contention for the final international window of the year in November. Hodge showed his leadership qualities during that U21 campaign, as Ireland’s youngsters came agonisingly close to reaching the European Championships for the first time.
The 22-year-old has been in and out of the Huddersfield team this season, as he spends a year on loan from Wolves to further develop. Nonetheless, he has been a highly-rated prospect in Irish circles for some time now, and is right in the mix to make his bow at senior level.
John O’Shea is clearly a fan and, should Hodge force his way into the Huddersfield team on a regular basis, he will surely be in the mix for a spot in midfield in the coming year.
Jimmy Dunne
25 March 2022; Jimmy Dunne during a Republic of Ireland training session at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Something of a forgotten man at international level, Jimmy Dunne has been one of QPR’s brightest performers in the Championship this season, playing every single minute of their Championship campaign and even scoring four goals.
It has been a challenging season for the Dundalk man, who lost his father late last year. His immense resilience in the aftermath of his father’s passing was hugely admirable, and the affection of the Rangers’ fans towards him was plain to see.
For a four-year period, Dunne was in and out of Ireland squads without ever making a senior appearance. His first call-up came for the final game of the Martin O’Neill era, showing how long the 27-year-old has waited for his senior debut.
With Dunne showing his versatility between centre-back and right-back in recent weeks, and Hallgrímsson open about his desire to find a long-term replacement for Séamus Coleman and Matt Doherty, the time may have come to finally give Dunne a shot in the Ireland team.
Sam Curtis
11 October 2024; Sam Curtis of Republic of Ireland and Mathias Fjortoft Lovik of Norway during the UEFA European U21 Championship qualifier match between Republic of Ireland and Norway at Turner’s Cross in Cork. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Another massive prospect from Jim Crawford’s U21 team, Sam Curtis was one of St. Pat’s standout players before earning a move to Sheffield United last January.
With the Blades fighting a doomed battle against relegaton, Curtis made just one Premier League appearance before joining Peterborough on loan in the summer. He has been a regular for the League One side and, like Dunne, has shown his versatility in playing at both centre-back and right-back.
He has been recalled from his loan this month and will hope for opportunities at Championship level to prove himself to Heimir Hallgrímsson and the Ireland coaching team.
A player for the future, Curtis may well have a chance at senior level for Ireland in 2025 as Hallgrímsson seeks to build his squad for the future.
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