David Okagbue receives Republic of Ireland youth call-up
Walsall defender David Okagbue has received his first call-up for Republic of Ireland under-21s ahead of the upcoming international break this month.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Okagbue, who has made 18 appearances for the Saddlers this term, has been named in Jim Crawford's 23-man squad ahead of back-to-back friendlies against Sweden.
The 20-year-old recently surpassed 50 appearances for the club and has been involved in every minute across all competitions since replacing Priestley Farquharson at half-time during Walsall's 1-0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers in August.
The former Stoke defender previously made five caps for Ireland under-19s but has not featured on the international stage since a 1-0 win over Hungary in the UEFA Euro Under-19 Championship qualifiers in September 2022.
After receiving his international call-up, Okagbue said: "I was buzzing. I didn't expect it but the first person I rang was my mum then my dad and the rest of the family.
"It's good when you know you're making them proud. I got an email off the secretary at Walsall and it's something that I really wanted and worked hard for so I'm delighted.
"My agent said he tried to give me a hint but I didn't even clock on to it so I was surprised."
