Southwood Selected

Luke Southwood warm-up Barnsley

Luke Southwood has been included in Northern Ireland’s squad for a friendly double-header next month.

The Wanderers’ keeper, who made 26 appearances for the Whites last season, is named in a 26 man squad for games against Denmark and Iceland.

Wanderers' team-mate Eoin Toal – who hasn’t played since mid-March due to a hamstring injury – has not been selected as he builds back up towards full fitness in time for the start of pre-season training next month.

Northern Ireland play Denmark on Copenhagen on Saturday, 7th June (KO 6.00pm BST) and then face Iceland in Belfast on Tuesday, 10th June (KO 7.45pm BST).

The fixtures will help Michael O’Neill’s side in their preparation for the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign in September in a group alongside Germany, Luxembourg and Slovakia.

Meanwhile, Wanderers’ midfielder Josh Sheehan is currently on a week-long training camp with Wales in Spain before Craig Bellamy names his squad next week for World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Belgium.

Northern Ireland squad:

Goalkeepers: Pierce Charles (Sheffield Wednesday), Conor Hazard (Plymouth Argyle), Luke Southwood (Bolton Wanderers).

Defenders: Trai Hume and Daniel Ballard (both Sunderland), Brodie Spencer (Huddersfield Town), Conor Bradley (Liverpool), Ruairi McConville (Norwich City), Paddy McNair (San Diego FC), Terry Devlin (Portsmouth), Aaron Donnelly (Dundee).

Midfielders: George Saville (Millwall), Shea Charles (Southampton), Alistair McCann (Preston North End), Isaac Price (West Bromwich Albion), Paul Smyth (Queens Park Rangers), Ethan Galbraith (Leyton Orient), Brad Lyons (Kilmarnock), Justin Devenny (Crystal Palace), Caolan Boyd-Munce (St Mirren), Callum Marshall (West Ham United), Jamie Donley (Leyton Orient, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur).

Forwards: Dion Charles (Huddersfield Town), Lee Bonis (ADO Den Haag), Dale Taylor (Nottingham Forest), Ronan Hale (Ross County).

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