Sport

Givens angry over Stokes

Under-21 Friendly: Republic of Ireland under-21 coach Don Givens was fuming last night after Sunderland striker Anthony Stokes…

Stephen Finn
Tue Aug 21 2007 - 01:00

Under-21 Friendly:Republic of Ireland under-21 coach Don Givens was fuming last night after Sunderland striker Anthony Stokes failed to report for duty. The 19-year-old Dubliner was due to play in a prestige friendly against Germany in Fürth tonight (6pm).

But when the Britain-based members of the Irish squad assembled at London City airport to fly to Nuremberg, Stokes was unaccounted for.

Givens rang Stokes and was surprised to learn he had withdrawn with an unspecified injury. He is livid with the player and the club.

"I rang Anthony on his mobile to ask him where he was and he said, 'I'm in Dublin, did the boss not get in touch with you?'" explained Givens.

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"I told Anthony I'd heard nothing and he said: 'Well, I picked up a knock on Saturday and the boss told me twice he'd sort it.' My reaction was it was also his responsibility to phone me . . . As soon as the squad was announced Blackburn were on to me to tell me Keith Tracey was injured and offered to send me the results of his scan . . . I'm very disappointed to find another Premier League club not behaving in a similar fashion."

Sunderland's medical staff rang the FAI to withdraw Paul McShane from the senior squad on Saturday but Givens has been unable to track any notification of Stokes's injury.

"The Sunderland physio rang the FAI straight after the Wigan game about McShane's injury and I find it hard to understand why if Anthony was injured it wasn't said then," said Givens. "I also find it a little hard to understand if Anthony Stokes is injured what is he doing in Dublin? Surely he should be back at the club getting treatment. What really annoys me is it has denied another player a place in the squad."

Stokes found himself in hot water with Sunderland earlier this year after he failed to turn up in time for the team bus for an away fixture.

Givens has recalled Patrick Cregg after a year out of the side.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND (Under-21 v Germany): Randolph (Charlton); Kane (Blackburn), O'Halloran (Aston Villa), Keogh (Bristol City), O'Dea (Celtic), Cregg (Falkirk), S Quinn (Sheffield Utd), Gleeson (Wolves), O'Brien (Celtic), Rooney (Stoke City), Clarke (Ipswich).