I'm joined again by Mark Kennedy of Hawkeye Sidekick to discuss Stephen Kenny's 27 man squad to face Andorra and Hungary in two end of season friendlies, and his U21 counterpart Jim Crawford's 26 man squad who will line up opposite Switzerland, Australia, and Denmark, as well as going through the (few) highs and (many, many) lows for Irish players in the recently concluded 2020/21 season in England and Scotland.
Note: this episode was recorded before John Joe Patrick Finn Benoa and Ciaran Brennan withdrew from the U21 squad, and Peterborough's Sam Szmodics was called into the senior team
Labour TD for Dublin Bay North and tour guide for the Dublin Football
Walking Tour Aodhán Ó Ríordáin joins myself, Mark Kennedy from Hawkeye
Sidekick and Philip Flanagan from The Bottomless Pit of Football for a
wide ranging discussion on the history of football in Ireland, and we
name the players we want to see Stephen Kenny pick for the end of season
training camp in Spain before facing Andorra and Hungary
Lee O'Connor was booked for the first time since Friday, 2nd April Liam McAlinden scored for consecutive games for the first time since August 2019, and assisted a goal for the first time since Tuesday, 15 September
In his final appearance for Aberdeen, Tommie Hoban was named in the Don's starting XI for the 50th time
St Johnstone 0-0 Livingston
Jaze Kabia was named in the Livingston starting XI for the first time
Belgian Super League
Anderlecht 1-2 Genk
Josh Cullen's start was his 25th appearance in the Belgian league
Sunday, 16th May 2021
Premier League
Crystal Palace 3-2 Aston Villa
James McCarthy was named in the Crystal Palace starting XI for the 50th time
Everton 0-1 Sheffield United
John Egan made his 300th career appearance
Scottish Premier League
Hamilton Academical 0-2 Kilmarnock
Alan Power assisted a goal for the first time in two months
Motherwell 1-2 Ross County
Sam Foley scored his first goal for Motherwell - this was his first goal since February 2020
St Mirren 0-0 Dundee Utd
Dylan Connolly was named in the St Mirren starting XI for the first time in a month
MLS
Atlanta United 1-0 Montreal Impact
Jake Mulraney's came off the bench to assist a goal for the first time since September 2020
Australian A-League
Perth Glory 5-1 Western Sydney Wanderers
Andy Keogh marked his 35th birthday with four goals in one game, his first goals since February 2020, making the only the second Perth Glory player to score four goals in one A-League game
Monday, 17th May 2021
Championship
Barnsley 0-1 Swansea
Conor Hourihane started a game for Swansea for the twentieth time
Michael Obafemi's introduction was his first appearance since Saturday, 26 September
Championship
Barnsley 2-2 Norwich
Adam Idah scored his first goal in ten weeks in his first appearance in nine weeks
Coventry 6-1 Millwall
Dan McNamara was booked for the tenth time this season
Derby County 3-3 Sheffield Wednesday
Without coming off the bench, Festy Ebosele was booked for the first time this season
League 2
Morecambe 2-0 Bradford City
Liam McAlinden first goal in six weeks was his tenth goal in League Two
Port Vale 0-3 Mansfield Town
James Clarke was named in the starting XI for the first time since Tuesday, 10 November
Stephen Quinn scored his first goal in six weeks
Salford City 3-0 Leyton Orient
Darron Gibson's introduction was his first appearance since Saturday, 17th October
Belgian Super League
Anderlecht 2-2 Royal Antwerp
Josh Cullen started a game for Anderlecht for the first time in two months
Australian A-League
Newcastle Jets 1-1 Sydney
Roy O'Donovan scored his 30th goal for Newcastle Jets
Sunday, 9th May 2021
League 1
Ipswich 3-1 Fleetwood
Troy Parrott scored his first goal in two months
MK Dons 0-3 Rochdale
Jimmy Keohane scored his tenth goal of the season in his 50th appearance of the season
Jimmy Ryan's introduction was his first appearance since Tuesday, 15 December
Oxford United 4-0 Burton Albion
Olamide Shodipo's first goal since Tuesday, 16 March was his tenth goal in League Two
Portsmouth 0-1 Accrington Stanley
Marcus Harness was booked for the first time since Tuesday, 2nd March
Scottish FA Cup
St Mirren 1-2 St Johnstone
Conor McCarthy scored his first goal since Wednesday, 16th December
MLS
LA Galaxy 2-1 Los Angeles FC
Derrick Williams made his first assist for LA Galaxy
Norwegian Eliteserien
Molde 2-0 Kristiansund
With the return of the Norwegian league, Sean McDermott started Kristiansund's first game of the new season
Monday, 10th May 2021
MLS
Sporting Kansas City 2-1 Austin FC
In his first start for new club Austin FC, Jon Gallagher scored his first goal for the Green - this was his fifth goal in MLS
Sean McGinty was sent off for the first time in his career
Inverness CT 2-2 Ayr
Aaron Doran's introduction was his first appearance in eight weeks
Eerste Divisie
Excelsior 3-0 Dordrecht
Liam Bossin was named in the Dordrecht starting XI for the tenth time
Saturday, 1st May 2021
Championship
Huddersfield 1-1 Coventry
Richard Keogh was booked for the first time since Saturday, 26 December
Jordan Shipley scored his first goal since Tuesday, 20 October
Luton 1-1 Middlesbrough
Glen Rea scored his first goal since Tuesday, 29 December 2020, and was booked for the tenth time this season
Millwall 4-1 Bristol City
Max O'Leary's start was his first appearance in six weeks
League 1
AFC Wimbledon 1-3 Portsmouth
Ronan Curtis scored his 40th goal for Portsmouth
Fleetwood 1-1 MK Dons
Glenn Whelan's late introduction was his first appearance since Saturday, 23 January
Peterborough 3-3 Lincoln City
Jack Taylor was named in the Peterborough starting XI for the 50th time
Rochdale 1-2 Doncaster Rovers
Eoghan O'Connell's start was his 100th appearance in the competition
Swindon Town 1-2 Ipswich
Mark McGuinness made his 25th career appearance
League 2
Bradford City 0-0 Scunthorpe
Paudie O'Connor's start was his 100th career appearance
Grimsby 1-0 Port Vale
Sean Scannell started a game for the first time since Saturday, 5 December
Leyton Orient 2-3 Carlisle United
Conor Wilkinson's 15th goal of the season was also his 20th goal for Leyton Orient
Mansfield Town 4-1 Oldham
Ireland U18 player Jaden Charles' introduction for Mansfield was his senior career debut Stephen McLaughlin's assisted a goal for the first time in six weeks
Newport Co. 1-0 Cheltenham
Padraig Amond made his 50th appearance of the season
Walsall 0-2 Morecambe
Liam McAlinden's start (his first in five weeks) was his 100th appearance League Two
Scottish Premier League
Livingston 1-2 Aberdeen
Jaze Kabia assisted a goal for Livingston for the first time
Jonathan Hayes was booked for the fifth time this season
Motherwell 2-0 Kilmarnock
Sam Foley was named in the Motherwell starting XI for the first time Danny Rogers' start was first appearance in three months
St Mirren 1-2 Hamilton Academical
Jake Doyle-Hayes was booked for the first time since Saturday, 6 February
Sunday, 2th May 2021
Premier League
Tottenham 4-0 Sheffield United
John Egan was booked for the first time in three months
Belgian Super League
FC Bruges 2-2 Anderlecht
Josh Cullen was booked for the fifth time this season in his 25th appearance for Anderlecht
MLS
Minessota United 0-1 Austin FC
Jon Gallagher's introduction was his 50th appearance in senior football
Monday, 3rd May 2021
MLS
Seattle Sounders FC 3-0 LA Galaxy
Derrick Williams' start was his first appearance for LA Galaxy