Blackburn midfielder Sammie Szmodics is a contender for Ireland’s March internationals after his passport finally came through.

The 27-year-old earned a first call up from Stephen Kenny for a Spain training camp in June 2021 after declaring for Ireland through his late grandmother from Longford.

However, a shoulder injury saw him ruled out of the friendlies against Andorra and Hungary in that camp and he has not been called up since due to paperwork issues regarding his passport application – it’s understood the final details came through last month.

But with those delays now resolved, Szmodics has a chance of being included in Kenny’s squad which will be announced next week, ahead of the Aviva Stadium double-header against Latvia (March 22) and France (March 27).

Szmodics impressed Kenny in 2021 as his 15 goals and eight assists helped Peterborough win promotion to the Championship that summer.

A further seven goals followed last season before he earned a move to Blackburn last August, where he has contributed five goals and three assists to date, including a crucial strike in their FA Cup Fifth Round win over Premier League Leicester last month.