Lincoln City duo Ivan Varfolomeev and Oisin Gallagher have received international call-ups for their respective nations.
Both players have two friendlies, with Ivan representing Ukraine U21s and Gallagher set to feature for the Republic of Ireland U21s.
For Lincoln fans missing their football, they can keep up to date with both Imps players featuring in four matches, from this Friday to the following Tuesday.
They aren’t the only Imps men to be selected for their country in this international window, with Jack Moylan making a storming start to his senior Republic of Ireland career. After a hat-trick on debut against Grenada, he was then called up for the friendly against Qatar last week. In his first showing at the Aviva Stadium, Moylan’s free-kick was headed home by Nathan Collins to give the home side an early lead. However, another impressive showing was cut short by a contentious red card late in the half, with Qatar also ending the game a man light.
Ivan has had a small window of rest and recuperation following a stunning first season in English football. Signed by Lincoln for a club-record fee last summer, he has more than repaid that cost, particularly during the second half of the campaign. He was mainly limited to cameos in the second part of 2025, but he was the beneficiary of Tom Bayliss’ unfortunate injury at Stockport County.
In only his second league start at Barnsley, Ivan provided an assist to set the Imps on their way to successive victories on the road. After a mixed time with the Ukrainian youth team prior to his move to the Imps, Ivan has played all seven games since the September international break, five of which were Euro U21 qualifiers. Varfolomeev will go on a nine-day training camp with his country, which involves two fixtures in Slovenia. The USA are first up on Friday evening, before an afternoon kick off against Japan a week today.
What About Gallagher?
This international call-up gives Oisin a chance to build on a strong season for both club and country. Another loan spell at Boston United showcased his abilities in the fifth tier of English football, as he looks likely for another temporary move away from the Imps next term. Naturally, an EFL loan looks the best way forward, following his development in the non-league system and over in the League of Ireland.
Ireland U21 head coach Jim Crawford has selected a host of inexperienced players for the clashes against Croatia and Qatar, set to take place on Saturday, 6th and Tuesday, 9th June. Eight players have been selected for the first time, with Gallagher himself relatively new to the U21s setup. He scored a late winner on debut against Kazakhstan in a Euro U21 qualifier in March, so the 21-year-old will be looking to continue that momentum in these latest fixtures.