Michael Obafemi has been called up to the Republic of Ireland's U-21 training camp after appearing to question his omission from the senior team.
The Southampton striker wrote ”interesting”, accompanied with a confused emoji face and another crying-with-laughter one, when Stephen Kenny's first senior squad was announced earlier this week.
Kenny subsequently insisted that Obafemi, 20, has a big future with the national team, saying: "Michael has to go into the Under-21s and do well at that level."
Obafemi, 20, will be part of Jim Crawford's 25-man U-21 squad for a four-day training camp in Northern Ireland from Monday, August 31 to Thursday, September 3.
The camp will prepare the team for a trio of crucial European qualifiers in October & November against Italy, Iceland and Luxembourg.
And it will see a first taste of the U-21 setup for Southampton duo Will Ferry and Will Smallbone, Watford's Ryan Cassidy and St. Patrick's Athletic defender Luke McNally.
Ireland currently sit three points clear of Italy at the top of Group A albeit they have played two games more than the Azzurri.
Republic of Ireland U-21 Squad
Goalkeepers: Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Gavin Bazunu (Rochdale, on loan from Manchester City), Ed McGinty (Sligo Rovers).
Defenders: Lee O'Connor (Tranmere Rovers, on loan from Celtic), Danny McNamara (St. Johnstone, on loan from Millwall), Darragh Leahy (Dundalk), Conor Masterson (QPR), Liam Scales (Shamrock Rovers), Luke McNally (St. Patrick's Athletic), Nathan Collins (Stoke City), Dara O'Shea (West Bromwich Albion), Thomas O'Connor (Southampton).
Midfielders: Dan Mandroiu (Bohemians), Jason Knight (Derby County), Jack Taylor (Peterborough United), Will Ferry (Southampton), Will Smallbone (Southampton), Conor Coventry (West Ham United), Connor Ronan (Grasshoppers Zurich, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Attackers: Michael Obafemi (Southampton), Danny Grant (Bohemians), Jonathan Afolabi (Celtic), Zach Elbouzedi (Lincoln City), Neil Farrugia (Shamrock Rovers), Ryan Cassidy (Watford).
