Ex-Republic of Ireland U21 international Liam Kelly has swapped Reading for Feyenoord. Source: PA Archive/PA Images

LIAM KELLY HAS admitted that a senior call-up for the Republic of Ireland is among his objectives after he completed a move to Dutch giants Feyenoord.

Having made 94 first-team appearances for Reading, the 23-year-old playmaker departed his boyhood club earlier this week to sign a two-year deal with the Rotterdam outfit, who are managed by former Reading boss Jaap Stam.

Despite being born in England, Kelly represented Ireland up to U21 level. He qualifies through grandparents who hail from Mayo and Leitrim.

However, uncertainty has surrounded his international allegiance since March 2018, when former Ireland manager Martin O’Neill claimed that Kelly was “keeping his options open” lest England declare their interest.

Kelly later provided a contrasting version of events, stating that “personal reasons” were behind his decision to decline a call-up to the senior squad for a friendly against Turkey.

In an interview published last night by Dutch football magazine Voetbal International, Kelly expressed his desire to catch the eye of current Ireland manager Mick McCarthy.

“If I perform well at Feyenoord, maybe I’ll get a chance,” he said of his prospects with Ireland. “It would be a great honour and good for my development too.”

Kelly could get his first outing in a Feyenoord shirt today in Austria, where Jaap Stam’s side will face German outfit SV Darmstadt 98 in a pre-season friendly.

Feyenoord will open their Eredivisie campaign on 4 August with a Rotterdam derby against Sparta. They’re also due to enter the Europa League in the third qualifying round against a yet-to-be-determined opponent, with ties scheduled for 8 and 15 August.

The Republic of Ireland’s qualifying campaign for Euro 2020 resumes with a home game against Switzerland on 5 September. A friendly against Bulgaria — also at the Aviva Stadium — is set for 10 September.

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