Charlton midfielder earns Ireland call-up for England game after Finland starter withdraws
Conor Coventry is Ireland’s most capped player at Under-21 level.
Charlton midfielder Conor Coventry has been rewarded for his fine start to the season at club level with a call-up for Sunday’s Wembley clash against England.
The 24-year-old midfielder has been drafted in by manager Heimir Hallgrímsson for the injured Jason Knight. Bristol City captain Knight’s withdrawal was confirmed on Saturday morning.
Coventry made 28 appearances for the Boys in Green at Under-21 level, beating Graham Barrett’s record of 24 caps at that level, and he regularly captained the team.
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A former West Ham prospect, who joined the Hammers at the age of 10 and rose through the club’s academy ranks, he made the permanent switch to Charlton last January.
He made 10 first-team appearances for his childhood club, including one in the Premier League in August 2022 as a late substitute in a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Most of his first-team experiences came during loan spells at Lincoln, Peterborough, MK Dons and Rotherham United, while he has made 13 starts in League One for Charlton so far this season.
This isn’t his first senior call-up. Stephen Kenny drafted Coventry into his squad in March 2021 for the World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Luxembourg, but he did not feature in either game.
The FAI confirmed Coventry’s inclusion in a post on social media, which read: “Jason Knight has been ruled out of the game through injury so (Charlton Athletic) midfielder Conor Coventry comes in and will train with the group this morning before travelling to London with the squad.”
Charlton also confirmed the news with a post on their club website, which read: "Conor Coventry has been called up to the Republic of Ireland squad for their upcoming UEFA Nations League clash with England at Wembley on Sunday (KO 5pm GMT).
"The 24-year-old is yet to be capped at senior level, but has been called up to the men's squad previously.
"Coventry is Ireland's most-capped player at U21s level with 28 appearances and captained the team on a number of occasions, scoring three goals. He was also named FAI U21 International Player of the Year in 2021.
"The midfielder, who has also represented his country at U17 and U19 level, was called up on Friday following Ireland’s 1-0 win at home to Finland.
"Congratulations, Conor!"
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