David Okagbue receives Republic of Ireland youth call-up

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.”