Luigi De Canio is backing QPR captain Martin Rowlands to make the final Republic of Ireland squad for their friendlies next month.The 29-year-old was named in Giovanni Trapattoni's initial 40-man squad, for clashes against Serbia and Colombia, which will be trimmed down to 28 ahead of the games.

Republic of Ireland assistant Marco Tardelli saw Rowlands produce another excellent display in the 1-0 win over Charlton at the weekend and De Canio paid tribute to the midfielder.

"I can't speak highly enough of my captain," he told the club's official website.

"Tardelli was here watching and I'm certain he would have been impressed by Martin's performance."

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