The 29-year-old midfielder, who recently returned from 20 months out due to a serious leg injury, replaced Jeff Hendrick with ten minutes to play during Ireland’s 1-0 defeat to Turkey in Antalya. The only goal of the game had come 25 minutes earlier with Mehmet Topal volleying home for the hosts. The Irish squad, which met up on Monday, has now been released to return to their clubs ahead of their next international engagement which comes against France in late May.

At Under-19 level, Jaakko Oksanen was a second-half substitute as Finland were beaten 4-0 by Switzerland in the first of their two friendlies this week. The game was level at the break but The Swiss turned on the style with Liridon Mulaj’s brace and strikes from Filip Ugrinic and Nias Hefti in the second-half. Jaakko came on for his fourth cap with the score at 1-0 while B Team top scorer Marcus Forss was an unused substitute. The two sides meet again on Monday in the second friendly.