On a dark day for the Irish senior football team, Michael Noonan stepped off the bench to break an Under 21 goalscoring record and offer a glimmer of hope for the future while Cathal McCarthy's meteoric rise continues 

Kildare duo Michael Noonan and Cathal McCarthy have been called up to the Republic of Ireland U21 squad for the first time by manager Jim Crawford

The morning after breaking a European record held by Romelu Lukaku, Michael Noonan was back in school at Ardscoil Rath Iomgháin in Rathangan.