High-flying Seagull Andrew Moran soaring at Stoke and eyeing Ireland role

Andrew Moran is aiming to make an impression for Ireland during this international window, and the young Dubliner believes that his recent loan move to Stoke City has added consistency to his creativity.

The playmaking attacking midfielder, who was today named as the Under-21 Player of the Year and presented with his award before training, remains on the books at Brighton but has been out mixing it in the Championship over the past two seasons, which has propelled him to the fringes of the Ireland senior squad.

Moran has been instrumental for the Ireland Under-21s in recent years and was one of the key players as Jim Crawford's side narrowly failed to progress from their group in the recent European championship qualifiers.

But now Moran has again been included in the senior squad - he made his debut against New Zealand last November - and will have the chance to impress Heimir Hallgrimsson in the build-up to both games against Finland on Thursday night at the Aviva Stadium and then away at Wembley on Sunday.

Moran made his senior debut as a 15-year-old with Bray Wanderers back in 2019 and soon after becoming the club’s youngest ever goalscorer – having turned 16 by that stage – he was plucked out of the Carlisle Grounds club and brought to the English south coast to sign for Seagulls of different breed.

One year later, Moran made the breakthrough in the League Cup, however, it was the loan move to Ewood Park in the summer of 2023 where he really started to make an impression in the men’s game, playing 35 league games for Blackburn Rovers.

A struggling side who managed to stay in the Championship thanks in no small part to the many goals of top scorer Sammie Szmodics, with Moran contributing from midfield and proving playmaker