The Republic of Ireland will have its first ever Down Syndrome Futsal team as they prepare for the SUDS European Championships in Italy in September.

Eight players, from six different counties across Ireland, will form the team as they work towards the competition in the coming months.

The team will be coached by Head Coach Paul Smyth and Assistant Coach Brendan Corish, both are FAI Football For All Development Officers who first began preparing a Down Syndrome Futsal squad back in 2020.

Paul Smyth said: "It’s something we have worked on since 2020 however the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the progression we made and so last year we were able to host open assessments again.

“The standard of football is excellent and I’m looking forward to working with the players.

It’s an honour to represent your country and for us to assemble a side that will fly the flag for Ireland is something we’re incredibly proud of. It will be an amazing experience for us and we’ve no doubt the Irish public will get behind us.”

Republic of Ireland Down Syndrome Futsal Squad
Goalkeeper: David Crawford (Co. Donegal)
Defenders: Josh Hennessy (Co. Dublin), Jamie Linden (Co. Louth)
Midfielders: Cian Kelleher (Co. Cork), Micheál McCloy (Co. Down), Sean Toolin (Co. Waterford)
Forwards: Daniel O’Reilly (Co. Donegal), Hughie Sweeney (Co. Donegal)