Rookie New York goalkeeper Ryan Meara was called into the Ireland under-21 camp for a friendly against Denmark later this month, but the Red Bulls denied the call-up.

Under-21 team manager Noel King told the Irish Sun newspaper: “Ryan has made contact and wants to play for us. We were made aware of his eligibility and we spoke to him and his club. He is keen to give it a go. He was already an Irish citizen and it was just a matter of getting his passport which he has now.

"He’s playing at a good level, with and against international players. I’ve watched him online and spoken to people who have watched him in action there and the feedback has been good.”

The native of Yonkers, N.Y., was selected out of Fordham University in the second round of the MLS SuperDraft in January and has started every game for the Red Bulls this season. He earned his first league shutout last Saturday in a 1-0 defeat of New England, and faces the Los Angeles Galaxy this weekend.

“Any player wants to push themselves and see how far they can go,” Meara, who is eligible to represent Ireland through his grandparents, told mlssoccer.com. “It’s an honor to be considered for Ireland, but like I said, right now, I am focused on what’s going on here with the Red Bulls.”