ETHAN Ryan's fine season with the Bulls has been rewarded with a first call-up for Ireland.

The winger, who was voted League One young player of the year, is named in new head coach Stuart Littler's train-on squad for the forthcoming European Championship.

Ryan, who scored 36 tries in 30 appearances during Bradford's promotion success, is joined by team-mates Joe Keyes and Gregg McNally.

St Helens back-rower James Bentley - another Bulls academy product like Ryan - and Hull prop Lewis Bienek are also first-time call-ups for the European tournament, which doubles as a qualifier for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in England.

The top two nations will be granted automatic passage, the bottom two playing in a further qualification group in 2019 which will include Italy, either Norway or Greece, and the top two nations in European B, which will be decided this weekend.

A number of players are included from Ireland’s 2017 World Cup campaign, where the Wolfhounds just lost out in Papua New Guinea to deny them a spot in the quarter-finals, together with a group of emerging talent from the domestic competition.

The Irish face Scotland and France at home in Santry before travelling to Wales, and will again be captained by their most-capped player, Liam Finn, who has pulled on the shirt 24 times.

IRELAND 35-MAN TRAIN-ON SQUAD

Sean O’Sullivan, Connor Smyth (Athy Sharks), Michael Ward (Batley Bulldogs) Chris Hall, Connor Phillips (Belfast Stags), Joe Keyes, Gregg McNally, Ethan Ryan (Bradford Bulls RL), Peter Ryan (Coventry Bears RL/ Galway tribesmen), Aaron Ryan (Dublin City Exiles) Ryan Guilfoyle, Ed O’Keefe, Roy Stanley (Galway Tribesmen), Ronan Michael (Huddersfield Giants RL /Longhorns RL), Lewis Bienek (Hull FC), Api Pewhairangi (London Broncos RL), Andrew Coade, Matt Connelly, Gareth Gill, Richie McHugh, James Mulvany, Kevin Varga (Longhorns RL), Tyrone McCarthy (Salford Red Devils), James Bentley (St Helens), Will Hope (Swinton Lions), Liam Finn, Scott Grix, Luke Hooley (Wakefield Trinity), George King, Pat Moran (Warrington Wolves), Alan McMahon (Waterford Vikings), Callum Mulkeen (West Wales Raiders), Callum O’Neill (Widnes Vikings) Liam Byrne, Declan O’Donnell (Wigan Warriors)