A Rangers striker who was recommended to the Football Association of Ireland by Donegal soccer administrator Dessie Kelly, has been called up to the Republic of Ireland Under-18 squad.
Matthew Shiels has been named in the Irish Under-18 panel by manager Jim Crawford for a three-game invitational tournament in Spain.
Shiels has played for Scotland at Under-17 level, but this week will be in the Irish squad for games against Belgium, Netherlands and Czech Republic in Murcia.
His paternal grandparents, Tommy Shiels and Anna (nee McDaid) both hail from Donegal.
The late Tommy Shiels was from Manorcunningham. He married Anna McDaid, originally from Lower Main Street in Letterkenny.
The Shiels’s settled in the Clydebank area in Scotland.
Their son, Thomas, is the father of the player, who plays for the Rangers development squad.
Paddy McDaid, the former Letterkenny Rovers player and now Illistrin coach, is a cousin. His father, Barney, is a sister of Anna Shiels.
Delighted to be picked to play for the Republic of Ireland ⚽️ https://t.co/FTdTpWIU7J
— Matthew shiels (@matthewshiels1) November 6, 2017
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