Defender gets Irish call

Reading defender Alex Pearce has received a call up for the Republic of Ireland squad for the first time.

The 23-year old has been hoping for a call from Giovanni Trapattoni after pledging his allegiance to the Republic of Ireland over Scotland. The representatives of the Irish FA had to receive clarification from Scotland that Pearce had no appeared in any competitive games for the U21 side before he could be selected.

The Reading-academy graduate could now make his debut as they face Oman in a friendly on Tuesday night, at Craven Cottage. Pearce had appeared twice the Scottish U21 side, but has since admitted he wants to play for Ireland through links from his grandmother. The former Southampton loanee won player of the season for Reading last campaign, not missing a single minute of football.

Wiki Page: Alex Pearce