Pisa Cake
Fri, May 22 2009
Worthers has named a new-look squad for our friendly against Italy in Pisa on June 6th.
Ten of the squad have never had a senior cap and of the total 161 caps in total for the squad travelling, 145 of those are shared between Healy, Johnson and McCann. It's a tremendous boost to some fantastic emerging talent and to face the world champions in a debut is Roy Of The Rovers stuff.
Worthington said: "It is a very young squad we have put together. It is important the senior players have a well-earned rest and they go off on their family holidays.
"It will give the young players some very good experience.
"We've put a phone call in to let them know the age of the squad we'll be taking, it'll be pretty much an under-21 group with one or two experienced players.
"What the Italians do is entirely up to them. If they play their big boys so be it, but if they play a younger team that would probably make for a better game.
"But the game is there to be played and we are looking forward to it. "
It will come as no surprise to see Jonny Evans' wee brother Corry included, but it's great to see Crusaders captain Colin Coates along with teammate Martin Donnelly also given the nod. Linfield's Robbie Garrett and Coleraine's Stephen Carson make up a decent representation of Irish League players for which they have worked hard for, and credit to Worthington for taking the time to notice.
Plymouth Argyle's Craig Cathcart, Everton's Shane Duffy, Ipswich's Chris Casement (on loan at Wycombe), Shane Ferguson of newly promoted Wolves and James Lawrie of Port Vale are all making debuts.
The young squad will give our senior squad a good rest ahead of our crucial qualifying games in September.
The 19-man squad announced for June 6th is Tuffey (Partick); Mannus (Linfield); Cathcart (Man Utd); Casement (Ipswich); Duffy (Everton); Coates (Crusaders); McGivern (Man City); Johnson (Birmingham); O'Connor (Crewe); Ferguson (Newcastle); McGinn (Celtic); McCann (Scunthorpe); Evans (Man Utd); Carson (Coleraine); Garrett (Linfield); Little (Rangers); Healy (Sunderland); Lawrie (Port Vale); Donnelly (Crusaders).
Anyone with any ideas on travel arrangements, latest ticket info and where to go in Pisa, please post on our blog.
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