International Career
O'Dea played for the Irish under-19 and under-21 teams. He was called up to the full international squad within 12 months.
He was called up to the Irish under 21 international squad by manager Don Givens on 3 March 2007 and served as team captain. However less than a week later he was named in the full international squad for Ireland's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group D matches on 24 and 28 March.
On 13 May 2008, O'Dea was called into Giovanni Trapattoni's first squad as Ireland manager and was then called into the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 8 matches against Bulgaria and Italy.
On 8 September 2009, he made his debut for the senior side in the 1–0 win against South Africa in a friendly after coming on as a substitute for Paul McShane in the second half. He earned a recall to the squad for friendlies against Paraguay and Algeria at the end of May. During the Algeria match, he made his second appearance when he came on as an early substitute for the injured John O'Shea and helped keep a clean sheet in a 3–0 win.
He earned his tenth cap for Ireland, coming on as a second half substitute against Croatia on 10 August 2011. On 6 September that year, O'Dea started alongside Richard Dunne in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group B match against Russia, a match which ended 0–0.
After his form for both Leeds United and country, O'Dea was nominated for Young International player of the year at the FAI International Football Awards, with Leeds teammate Aidy White also nominated for an award.
O'Dea won the Ireland Young International Player Of The Year Award during the FAI ceremony in February 2012.
He scored his first senior goal for Ireland in a World Cup qualiyfing match against the Faroe Islands on 16 October 2012.
Read more about this topic: Darren O'Dea
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