INTER Milan prospect Kevin Zefi has been named in the Republic of Ireland’s U-17 squad for two friendly games next week even though the former Shamrock Rovers man has been suggested as a possible recruit for Albania.
efi, who made his League of Ireland debut with Rovers in the First Division last year, joined Inter earlier this summer. It was feared that the Dublin-born attacking player, capped at U-15 level by Ireland, could defect to Albania as his parents are Albanian.
But U-17 coach Colin O’Brien has included Zefi in his squad to face Mexico in two friendly games in Cork, next Sunday and Tuesday. Spanish native Caden McLoughlin, on the books of Villareal, is also included as is Celtic prospect Rocco Vata, son of former Celtic and Albania star Rudi Vata.
“We’ve 20 players ready to represent the Republic of Ireland Under-17s against high-level opposition so the players are going to be really tested here, both collectively and individually, and it will give them a good measure to where they’re at,” O’Brien said after his squad was named.
“It’s a very ‘homebased squad’ and it’s the first squad we’re going to see around the Brexit situation but the players are well into their season and we’ve done a lot of homebased assessments and training camps over the last few months and a lot of games watched.”
