Heimir Hallgrimsson has named his 21-man squad for Ireland’s friendly with Grenada in Murcia next week, with several new names on the list, including Jack Moylan and Jaden Umeh.
Moylan has starred for Lincoln City this season as the Imps have earned promotion and will play in the second tier for the first time since 1960, with former Shelbourne man Moylan netting over 10 goals along the way.
However, 18-year-old winger Umeh is up there with Kevin O’Toole as one of the most surprising call-ups of the Hallgrimsson era. And it’s not for his lack of talent, as Umeh is one of the most hyped Irish prospects in a long time. So, with only 16 League of Ireland appearances in his senior career, here’s how Jaden Umeh has made his way to the Ireland squad.
Who is Jaden Umeh?
Umeh was born in Mahon, County Cork, on March 18 2008. He comes from a footballing family as his brother Franco, 21, is also a professional footballer who plays for Portsmouth in the Championship.
Umeh played for Ringmahon Rangers in his youth, the same club that produced Caoimhin Kelleher, before getting picked up by Cork City.
It wouldn’t take long for Umeh to make strides in the senior game as he became Cork City’s youngest-ever player when he made his debut as a substitute against Bohemians in 2023, aged just 15 and 230 days.
He would score his first goal the next season after he turned 16, becoming Cork’s youngest-ever goalscorer, before an opportunity of a lifetime came his way.
In August 2024, Umeh made the huge decision to move from his hometown to Portugal to join the prestigious Benfica academy.
The Portuguese giants have boasted one of the best academies in European football in the 21st century, producing the likes of Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix and Ruben Dias, just to name a few. The Eagles have generated over €500million in player sales over the last decade.
It was a huge move for Umeh, and it looks like it’s paying off. After taking some time to settle in, the winger has become a mainstay for the club’s academy team.
He’s featured 23 times for the U23s this season, including 9 games and 3 goals en route to the UEFA Youth League semifinals.
And since then, Umeh has made the big step into the senior team. He was recently one of a handful of players to get called up to train with Benfica’s first team, with Jose Mourinho himself taking a session with the youngsters.
He’s also starred at the underage international level for the Republic of Ireland. He started in all 5 of Ireland’s games in the U17 World Cup in Qatar in November, scoring in their opening win over Panama. He’s since gone on to play twice for the U21s.
The future is certainly bright for Umeh, hopefully he can get a shot in Murcia next week.
