Kevin Doyle is staying home, but his Colorado Rapids teammate Shkelzen Gashi is headed to UEFA Euro 2016.
Gashi was named to Albania’s final 23-man roster for the tournament on Tuesday. The news came on the same day that it was announced that fellow Rapids forward Doyle did not make the cut for Ireland’s final Euro squad.
The 27-year-old Gashi signed a Designated Player contract with the Rapids this winter. He’s made 10 appearances so far this season for Colorado, scoring two goals and notching three assists for the first-place club. A former Swiss youth international, Gashi has one goal in 12 senior international appearances since switching to Albania in 2013.
Gashi has been in camp since last week with Albania, which had never qualified for a major tournament before earning a spot at these Euros. He played the first half of their friendly win against Qatar on Sunday.
Albania will play a final pre-Euro tune-up on Friday against Ukraine, then begin Group A play on June 11 against Switzerland. They’ll take on hosts France on June 15 before wrapping the group stage against Romania on June 19.
