Following a heartbreaking late defeat to Serbia in the opening group game on Thursday, Colin O’Brien’s side have their sights set on a vital three points.
A key component of the team this season has been Shamrock Rovers midfielder Aaron Bolger who recovered from injury to take his place in the Ireland engine room in the group opener against Serbia.
Wicklow native Bolger, who only turned 17 in February, has already tasted first team action at club level having made his Shamrock Rovers debut in September 2016.
He is also an experienced player at this level with 11 appearances for Ireland Under 17s to date and he feels he has developed hugely over the course of the campaign.
“Since I’ve come into the set-up, Colin O’Brien has improved my game a lot and Keith Andrews as well. They both have a lot of experience in the game and it’s great to learn from people like them,” he said.
Reflecting on the defeat to Serbia, Bolger rued a missed opportunity. “I think we started off slow compared to other games this year. In the second half we got into it a bit more and we were unlucky not to get at least a point in the end.”
The Ireland players and management have had time to analyse Thursday’s game and Bolger see Sunday’s tie as a chance to put things right.
“It’s a must win game. We will be looking to bring in what we’ve done throughout the year for the game and hopefully we’ll do enough to pick up the three points.
“There is quality throughout this team, we have a bit of everything throughout the squad.
“We are focused on our own game and know if we can perform to the level we are capable of then we can pick up the three points.”
A key component of the journey so far has been the spirit of this squad. The group got their first taste of playing live on television during Thursday’s opening game with a huge travelling support present inside the stadium – something Bolger says spurs the players on.
“Being able to represent my country is a very proud thing for me. A lot of friends and family have taken time off work to travel over to support us and that means a huge amount to us. We hopefully can repay that faith with a big three points against Bosnia.“
Live minute-by-minute updates of Republic of Ireland v Bosnia & Herzegovina will be available on FAI.ie with further updates on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram throughout the day. The game will be streamed live on Eurosport’s ‘Eurosport Player App’ but please note this is a subscription service.
Republic of Ireland Under 17 Squad - UEFA European Under 17 Championship
Goalkeepers: Brian Maher (St Patrick’s Athletic), Kian Clarke (Bohemians)
Defenders: Lee O’Connor (Manchester United), Kameron Ledwidge (St Kevin’s Boys), Nathan Collins (Cherry Orchard), Jordan Doherty (Sheffield United), Daryl Walsh (Waterford FC), Joe Redmond (Birmingham City)
Midfielders: Aaron Bolger (Shamrock Rovers), Luke Nolan (St Patrick’s Athletic), Brandon Kavanagh (Bohemians), Richard O’Farrell (St Patrick’s Athletic), Gavin Kilkenny (Bournemouth), Callum Thompson (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Forwards: Rowan Roache (Blackpool), Adam Idah (College Corinthians), Aaron Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), Tyreik Wright (Lakewood AFC)
Fixtures/Results
Thursday, 4 May: Republic of Ireland 0-1 Serbia, Stadium Kostrena
Sunday 7 May: Republic of Ireland v Bosnia & Herzegovina, Stadium Kostrena, Kostrena, KO 15:30 Irish Time
Wednesday, 10 May: Republic of Ireland v Germany, Stadium Rujevica, Rijeka, KO 11:00 Irish Time, LIVE on Eurosport 1
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