Ireland’s Nations League Reset: The New Faces Who Could Shape Hallgrimsson’s First Competitive Squad

Ireland will return to competitive action for the first time in six months in the coming weeks, with Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side set to kick off their UEFA Nations League campaign.

The Boys in Green are scheduled to play four games over an extended international window, starting with a trip to Kosovo on September 24th. The squad for those fixtures will be named on Thursday, as Ireland look to reset under Hallgrimsson ahead of the next qualification cycle in European competition overseen by UEFA.

While a core of established internationals is expected to anchor the group, this window also opens a rare opportunity to refresh the depth chart across several key positions. With that in mind, here are seven players firmly in contention for a first senior Ireland call-up later this week – and the roles they could realistically fill in the medium term.

Defensive Reinforcements Under Consideration

Liam Kitching (Sheffield United, on loan from Coventry City)

Liam Kitching has been mentioned as a possible Ireland international in the past, and it now appears the centre-back is closer than ever to involvement. IFB Media reported in recent days that the 26-year-old has recently sorted his Irish passport and is now available for selection.

Kitching played a big role in Coventry City’s promotion to the Premier League last season, before joining Sheffield United on loan earlier this month. That combination of recent success in a promotion campaign and exposure to top-flight preparation work will appeal to a manager tasked with rebuilding a defensive unit for the Nations League and beyond.

He faces plenty of competition at centre back, but his left-footed profile and experience in physically demanding English football make him a credible option for Hallgrimsson as Ireland seek to refresh their options in a position that underpins shape and stability in tournament football.

Danny McNamara (Charlton Athletic)

Right back is a tricky position for Ireland heading into this international window, with regular options in the role not featuring regularly at club level. Seamus Coleman is still without a club, while Matt Doherty has been a bit-part player at Sheffield United.

In that context, Danny McNamara’s consistency stands out. He has never received an Ireland senior call-up despite being a reliable performer at Championship level over recent seasons, a standard of football that often feeds directly into national-team selection.

That form has continued after his move to Charlton Athletic over the summer. For Hallgrimsson, a first look at McNamara in a competitive international camp could help stabilise a position that has been in flux, especially in a competition like the UEFA Nations League where defensive clarity over several matches can shape seeding and future qualifying pathways.

Joel Bagan* (Cardiff City)

Joel Bagan has technically been called up by Ireland before, but he was forced to withdraw from the squad over the summer before linking up with the group. As a result, he remains uncapped at senior level and is included in this list.

Left back has been an issue for Ireland for quite some time, and the Cardiff City defender is a potential solution in that area of the pitch. He has played every minute of the club’s Championship campaign up to this point, a workload that underlines his durability and trust from his club coaching staff.

At 25 years of age, Bagan has steadily improved over the last few seasons. This window offers Hallgrimsson a chance to assess whether he can translate that club form into international contributions, potentially easing a long-standing structural concern on Ireland’s defensive flank.

Midfield Options to Address a Thin Core

Jacob Devaney (Hibernian, on loan from Manchester United)

Midfield is a major area of concern for Ireland, with the situation all the more pressing heading into this month’s window. The likes of Josh Cullen and Jack Taylor are currently sidelined due to injury, while Will Smallbone is still without a club after leaving Southampton.

A first call-up for Jacob Devaney would be an intriguing response to that shortage. The 19-year-old is clearly a significant talent, although his exposure to first-team football was relatively limited up until the turn of the year.

He impressed on loan at St Mirren in the second half of last season and has already made a notable impact after joining Hibernian over the summer. For a national team managing transition, bringing Devaney into the senior setup now would allow Hallgrimsson to integrate a young midfielder early into his system, with low immediate risk but meaningful long-term upside for Ireland’s central options.

Attacking Profiles Offering Fresh Variety

Trent Kone-Doherty (Molde)

Having taken the bold decision to move to Molde earlier this year, Trent Kone-Doherty has already begun to show the benefit of that move. Playing in Norway gives him regular exposure to European competition rhythms and different tactical environments, experience that can be valuable at international level.

The winger has netted two hat-tricks this season, including one in a league game against HamKam over the weekend. In all, he has scored nine goals in his last six appearances, figures that underline both form and confidence in the final third.

With Ireland relatively short on natural wide options, there is a genuine possibility that the 20-year-old could be fast-tracked into the squad. The Nations League, which sits alongside traditional qualifiers in the European calendar, is designed to provide meaningful fixtures and can also function as a controlled environment to test emerging attacking players like Kone-Doherty without the immediate pressure of a major tournament.

Owen Elding (Hibernian)

A nailed-on inclusion by most expectations, Owen Elding is all but certain to receive his first Ireland call-up this month.

It has been a long time coming for the striker, with the process delayed as he awaited the arrival of his Irish passport. While it was initially assumed a number of months ago that he would first join the U21 setup, his form for Hibernian is now likely to see him bypass that level altogether.

Hallgrimsson is clearly a strong admirer of the player. He has been in contact with Elding frequently over the last 12 months and brought him in to train with the squad over the summer despite the fact he was not yet eligible to play.

For a national side that has often relied on a narrow pool of centre-forwards, integrating a club striker in good form presents an opportunity to broaden tactical options – from pressing approaches to direct play – ahead of a four-game block that will test Ireland’s attacking depth.

Armstrong Oko-Flex (Levski Sofia)

A prodigious talent as a teenager, Armstrong Oko-Flex has found the transition to senior football challenging, moving between various clubs in the UK and across Europe in recent seasons.

He appears to have found greater stability in Bulgaria. After impressing at Botev Plovdiv, he earned a move to Levski Sofia in January. The 24-year-old has scored six goals and registered one assist so far in the current campaign.

He will also feature in the Europa League this season, with a likely debut in that competition to come against RB Salzburg on Thursday. That exposure to European club competition offers a different reference point for Hallgrimsson as he evaluates forward and wide options, particularly with an eye on players who can adapt quickly to varied opposition styles in the Nations League.

What This Window Represents for Ireland

Ireland’s return to competitive football in the Nations League is more than a resumption after a six-month break. It is a structured opportunity for Hallgrimsson to:

• Address positional gaps at full-back and centre-back with players such as Kitching, McNamara and Bagan.
• Begin succession planning in midfield around a thinner core by introducing Devaney.
• Add diversity and form-driven options in attack through Kone-Doherty, Elding and Oko-Flex.

With four fixtures compressed into a single international window, the schedule should allow Hallgrimsson to rotate intelligently while still maintaining competitive integrity in a UEFA competition that influences future seeding. For several of these uncapped players, a first call-up this week would be less a one-off reward and more the start of an extended audition for a place in Ireland’s next qualification campaign.