Ireland defender Jimmy Dunne is in contention for his first senior cap having been called-up by head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson for the Nations League play-off with Bulgaria.
Ireland need to beat Bulgaria over two legs to preserve their status in the B tier of the Nations League, beginning with a trip to the Stadion Hristo Botev on Thursday.
They will then take on Bulgaria in the second leg of their promotion/relegation playoff, on March 23rd in Dublin, hoping to preserve their place in Nations League B for 2026 and beyond.
Limp defeats to Greece and England mean Ireland nonetheless found themselves at risk of relegation, despite two wins over Finland in the campaign.
The two legs present an opportunity for Dunne to make his senior bow having been called-up but not played by Martin O'Neill, Mick McCarthy and Stephen Kenny in the past.
His versatility could help this time around, having played at full-back as well as in the centre of defence at QPR where he is enjoying a strong spell of form.
Jimmy Dunne had brilliant Northern Ireland quip
Now 27, Dunne - who is from Dundalk - has been approached by Northern Ireland in the past.
His grandmother is from Enniskillen, therefore making him eligibile to represent Northern Ireland but Dunne never took them up on their offer.
Asked about why he opted to persist with things south of the border, he quipped it would not have been well received in his local area.
Yeah I've been asked to do it in the past, my granny is from Enniskillen, just over the border so it's been an option," Dunne told reporters.
“But, to be honest, in Dundalk, I don't think you can consider it too much. I don't want to go missing or anything!”
🗣️Jimmy Dunne discussing whether there was any chance of a switch to Northern Ireland😅😂
— Irish Football Blog (@BlogIrish) March 20, 2025
Brilliant stuff.
Dunne's faces stiff competition for places with the likes of Nathan Collins, Dara O'Shea and Everton's Jake O'Brien all having good season in the Premier League.
Those three men all feature in the team we would like to see tog out vs Bulgaria on Thursday night.
