Manager Sean McCaffrey will use a friendly tournament in Spain to reintegrate those Republic of Ireland under-19 players who have not featured recently on the international stage because of injury and club commitments.

Ireland will compete against Scotland, Norway and Finland in La Manga at the end of the month and McCaffrey sees the tournament as ideal preparation for the Elite Phase of the European Championships in May.

Burnley’s Christopher McCann, and Ipswich Town duo Shane Supple and Owen Garvan return after long term layoffs but Manchester United’s Darron Gibson has been omitted due to club commitments.

Bohemians duo John Paul Kelly and Conor Powell represent the eircom League.

"It is important to give these players a chance, those who have been unfortunate with injuries and unable to be involved due to club commitments so I hope to take a good look at all these players", McCaffrey said.

Ireland open the La Manga tournament against Scotland on February 27th.  They then meet Norway on March 1st before concluding the tournament against Finland two days later.

Tony McGuirk will steer the squad through the competition as McCaffrey will be with the Irish under-17s at the Algarve Cup in Portugal at the same time.

In May, the under-19s face Slovakia, Turkey and Georgia in the European Championships elite phase.  Only the top team qualifies from the group for the July finals in Poland

Republic of Ireland U19:  Stephen Henderson (Aston Villa), Shane Supple (Ipswich Town), Kieran Murphy (MK Dons), Sean Kelly (Arsenal), (Mark Mukendi, Derry City), Stephen O'Halloran (Aston Villa), Eddie Nolan (Blackburn Rovers), Conor Powell (Bohemians), JP Kelly (Bohemians), Ian Morris (Blackpool), Owen Garvan (Ipswich Town), Stephen Gleeson (Wolves), Christopher McCann (Burnley), Jonathan Hayes (Reading), William Clarke (Ipswich Town),  Shane Long, (Reading)
Anthony Stokes (Arsenal), Ross Gaynor (Millwall).