Newcastle United have high hopes for Rory Finneran, and the midfielder continues to shine for the Republic of Ireland Under-17s.
The final international break of 2025 is upon us, and Newcastle United players are jetting all over the world with their countries.
Malick Thiaw is back in the Germany mix, while the likes of Anthony Elanga, Nick Woltemade and Bruno Guimaraes will also be in action.
Elsewhere, Newcastle talent Rory Finneran is in World Cup action for the Republic of Ireland Under-17s.
Finneran’s 2024 move from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle is yet to be resolved, but the teenager is attracting attention.
Rory Finneran of Republic of Ireland in action against Paraguay.
Photo by Jurij Kodrun – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Newcastle United’s Rory Finneran catches the eye for Republic of Ireland U17s
Finneran has dreams of challenging Sandro Tonali in the Newcastle first team, but he has a long way to go yet.
The teenager has featured in Premier League 2 this season and is now captaining the Republic of Ireland at the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar.
After wins over Panama and Uzbekistan, the Republic of Ireland ended their group stage campaign with a 0-0 draw against Paraguay.
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Finneran played the full 90 minutes in Tuesday’s draw with Paraguay, and he caught the eye with another composed display.
One clip posted by RTE showed Finneran picking the ball up on the half-turn and gliding past a Paraguay player.
Finneran drove forward before threading through a brilliant pass to Jaden Umeh, whose shot was saved.
This moment really encapsulates what Finneran can provide from a deep midfield role, as he has the talent and confidence to carry the ball forward and impact the game.
Rory Finneran stats against Paraguay
Sofascore tracked Finneran’s stats against Paraguay and rated him at 7.7 out of 10 – the highest-rated player on the pitch.
The stats look pretty impressive, with Finneran showing quality on the ball as well as protecting his side defensively.
Category Rory Finneran stats v Paraguay
Key passes 2
Big chances created 1
Accurate passes 34
Attempted passes 44
Dribbles 2
Touches 67
Interceptions 3
Clearances 4
Blocked shots 1
Ball recoveries 10
Ground duels won 6
Newcastle will have high hopes for Finneran, and a display like this really shows off his potential.
It may take a while for the 17-year-old to emerge into the first team, but the talent is obvious.