Maguire returns while Butler set for personal milestone

Phelie Maguire will be given a late chance to break back into the Irish team for the European championships as he was named as one of Paul Revington's three changes from the Champion's Challenge II side for a two-match series with Belgium – currently world number nine.

Maguire has been out of hockey since relocating to Palestine in the Spring to carry out humanitarian work but has been back in training with the national squad in the past three weeks.

He joins the squad along with Reading’s Chris Cargo and Annadale striker Peter Caruth. Andy McConnell (exams), Mikey Watt (fractured thumb) and John Jermyn (rested) are the players to make way from last week’s Champion’s Challenge II panel.

Conor Harte, meanwhile, will undergo a late fitness test with Karl Burns standing by. The series could also see Stephen Butler close in on another personal record in the Irish jersey to add to his record goals haul. He is set to reach 150 international caps, should he play both games, and move within one of current all-time record holder Paddy Brown.

Butler is currently third on the all-time list with Marty Sloan second, the Cookstown man gaining 149 caps in his career.

Meanwhile, a similar amount of switches affect Gene Muller’s women’s panel ahead of a three matches against the world number seven side, Spain, in Valencia this weekend.

Louisa Healy, Cliodhna Sargent and Rachel Mulligan come back in for the injured Mary Goode, Alex Speers and Lauren Barr. Both coaches are expected to announce their European squads next week.

Irish men’s squad (club/caps)
David Harte (GK, Pembroke/37), Iain Walker (GK, YMCA/15), Ronan Gormley (Capt, Pembroke/80), Tim Lewis (Pembroke/46), Joe Brennan (Glenanne/22), Conor Harte (Pembroke/24), John Jackson (Loughborough/22), Graham Shaw (Vice-capt, Glenanne/134), Stephen Butler (Glenanne/148), David Hobbs (vice-capt, Cork C of I/133), Geoff McCabe (Banbridge/45), Phelie Maguire (KHC Leuven/74), Alan Sothern (Pembroke/21), Eugene Magee (Banbridge/86), Timmy Cockram (Lisnagarvey/79), Mitch Darling (TRR/24), Chris Cargo (Reading/3), Peter Caruth (Annadale/5)

Irish women’s squad (club/caps)
Lizzie Colvin (Loreto/ 15), Emma Clarke (Ulster Elks/73), Bridget Cleland (Ballymoney/129), Eimear Cregan (Capt, Cork Harlequins/151), Roisin Flinn (UCD/57), Megan Frazer (Ballymoney/13), Michelle Harvey (Pegasus/15), Louisa Healy (Loreto/42), Lisa Jacob (UCD/51), Shirley McCay (Ulster Elks/68), Cathy McKean (Loreto/123), Rachel Mulligan (Armagh/19), Cliodhna Sargent (Cork Harlequins/43), Niamh Small ( Loreto/ 18), Emma Smyth (Railway Union/9), Emma Stewart (Armagh/75), Nikki Symmons (Loreto/119), Emma Gray (Hermes/8)

Men’s match schedule (Irish time):
Saturday, July 18 (2pm) Ireland v Belgium
Sunday, July 19 (12pm) Ireland v Belgium

Women’s match schedule (Irish time)
Friday, July 17 (11am) Ireland v Spain
Saturday, July 18 (11am) Ireland v Spain
Sunday, July 19 (9am) Ireland v Spain