Out-of-contract West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Max O'Leary has been rewarded for his impressive club form with an end-of-season international call-up to the Republic of Ireland squad.
O'Leary's International Career
The 29-year-old shot-stopper has made just one appearance for his nation, featuring in a friendly against Luxembourg in June last year. That call-up came after he helped former club Bristol City reach the Championship play-offs. Now, O'Leary has earned another chance to represent Ireland after playing a key role in helping Albion avoid relegation this season.
O'Leary has been included in manager Heimir Hallgrímsson's 21-man squad for a Spanish training camp and a friendly against Grenada this month. He is joined by Baggies teammate Jayson Molumby, who missed Albion's final-day defeat at Sheffield Wednesday with a minor hamstring strain but has the opportunity to add to his 34 caps.
Upcoming Fixtures
Ireland will face Grenada in Murcia on May 16, followed by further friendlies against Qatar on May 28 and Canada on June 6. The nation is aiming to recover from World Cup qualification heartache, where Molumby featured as Ireland were beaten on penalties by Czechia.
O'Leary's Impact at West Brom
O'Leary joined West Brom on a short-term deal at the end of January and has been a consistent presence in goal during his little over three months at The Hawthorns. The Bath-born former Bristol City stalwart made 17 appearances, 16 in the Championship, and kept eight clean sheets. Many of those shutouts came during the run-in as James Morrison's team powered to survival with a formidable defense, managing a remarkable run of six clean sheets in seven games.
O'Leary is out of contract at the end of his short-term deal, and Albion are considering their options in the goalkeeping department. The futures of O'Leary and academy graduate Josh Griffiths, who started the season as the number one but lost his place to O'Leary, are uncertain. Third-choice goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith is on loan at Middlesbrough and is expected to leave.
