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Maguire eyes Republic chance

Image: Maguire: Hopes to earn Republic of Ireland call-up at VVV

Barry Maguire has departed Utrecht for VVV in hopes of earning a call-up to the Republic of Ireland side.

Midfielder swaps Utrecht for VVV Venlo

Young midfielder Barry Maguire has departed FC Utrecht for VVV Venlo in hopes of earning a call-up to the Republic of Ireland national side. The Dutch-Irish player arrives at VVV targeting regular first-team action having found playing time limited at Utrecht. Maguire, who has an Irish father and a Dutch mother, has represented both Ireland and Holland at junior level, playing for the Republic Under-16s and the Netherlands Under-19s. But the 21-year-old is keen to make his senior debut with Ireland, and hopes he can attract the selectors' attention in Venlo. He told Voetbal International: "I have a very good feeling about Ireland, and I have had positive meetings with people from Ireland."

Important

Maguire was invited to watch Ireland's game against Russia last season and spoke with coach Giovanni Trapattoni over a potential call-up. "(Trapattoni) was fantastic, such a big coach," he said. "We talked mainly about the game, but he also stated he would follow me. "Therefore it is very important to play weekly. I want to reach the Irish team at VVV Venlo." He added: "Of course this is a smaller club, but the Dutch league is known for its good football. "Hopefully Ireland will reach the 2012 European Championship and maybe I will be in that squad. "In football everything happens quickly."

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