Will these Everton and Southampton stars be vital for Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2016 hopes?

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James McCarthy

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The Everton midfielder may not have enjoyed the most successful campaign with his club, but that will no doubt be pushed aside when it comes to the Euro 2016.

The defensive midfielder is a player will not be pushed around and could prove very important for his country this summer, largely thanks to his enthusiastic tackling ability.

Sitting just in front of his defensive line, the 25-year-old will be vital in retrieving possession for his country and will certainly have his hands full with the forwards amongst his group.

Manager O’Neill will be hoping McCarthy can silence Belgium forward and Everton teammate Romelu Lukaku in the group stages, whilst the Republic will also face Zlatan Ibrahimovich of Sweden.

The only worry will be that the midfielder missed both warm-up games against the Netherlands and Belarus but his announcement in the squad surely means they expect him to be fit.