Sam Szmodics has withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad due to personal reasons.

The attacking midfielder received a late call for their upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Greece and Gibraltar after impressing in the Championship. Szmodics has scored seven goals already this season for Rovers.

It was Szmodics’ first call-up since the summer of 2021 when he missed out on the chance of a debut due to a shoulder injury. Since then, there had been some administration issues surrounding the paperwork submitted for his Irish passport, which were resolved earlier this year.

Stephen Kenny confirmed in his press conference this morning that the 28-year-old had pulled out of the squad and returned to England to be with his family.

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Rovers say that their top-scorer will return to training with the first team. Jon Dahl Tomasson and the first-team group returned on Thursday after being granted a few days off during the interntional break.

Szmodics is currently joint-top scorer in the Championship along with Adam Armstrong and Jack Clarke, having scored seven times in 11 appearances. He was on target in the 4-0 victory at QPR last weekend, slotting home after pouncing on an error from the hosts.

With three points from their opening five games, Ireland’s hopes of qualifying for next summer’s tournament look bleak.

France are leading the way in Group B with maximum points, while the Netherlands and Greece are both locked on nine points in second and third spot.

Kenny’s side take on Greece on Friday night at the Aviva Stadium before heading to Gibraltar on Monday.