by Joe McHugh Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has spoke in glowing terms about James McCarthy and gone as far as comparing the teenager with two of the greatest players that Italy has ever produced.
The midfielder from Castlemilk, overlooked by Archie Knox for Scotland, has been named in the full Ireland squad for next week’s Emirates Stadium friendly against Brazil alongside Aiden McGeady and Robbie Keane.
Despite the overtures of Craig Levein, and attention of Gary Caldwell, McCarthy has never wavered from his decision to play for Ireland and has respected the FAI’s decision not to fast-track him into earning a phoney cap to prevent him from changing his mind.
Trapattoni hasn’t even attempted to win over the Irish media or public in the manner of Jack Charlton and has been criticised for failing to attend a single Eircom League match despite being international manager.
The former Juventus manager has remained at his base in Italy and avoided the networking that countryman Fabio Capello has put in attempting to build a squad to lift the World Cup.
McCarthy has started just seven Premiership games since moving from Hamilton to Wigan, all of them since the turn of the year, but has done enough to earn the praise of his international boss.
Trapattoni said: “McCarthy can play right, left. I saw him two or three times. I’d like to ask him which position he likes. He can play behind the striker, sometimes left, sometimes right — we need to look at his quality and personality.
“Sure he has talent — like Rivera, Mazzola, they became very great with experience. They had good quality. It’s important when this personality develops. He’s fast and confident on the ball. He could be important for us.
“Yes, there was a danger that he could go to Scotland. If we speak too much about players, the other countries would be there waiting.”
McCarthy is one of three new faces brought into the full international squad as Ireland attempt to move on from their controversial World Cup exit to France.
A rigid 4-4-2 formation throughout their World Cup qualifying campaign made Ireland hard to beat but was perceived as being inflexable by many supporters.
After difficult campaigns under Brian Kerr and Steve Staunton the Irish have got high hopes of qualifying for the 2012 European Championships with the development of McCarthy crucial to Trapattoni’s plans.
He added: “We try the players, they change the system. I have an idea that it’s possible to change when players can adapt themselves to the change.
“It’s not the system, it’s the players. I can’t put it in practice unless I have the players. At this moment, no, it’s not possible to change.
“Maybe with (James) McCarthy when he becomes experienced, it’s possible to change. Before me, the system was different, but Ireland lose. For me, it was important to look at a system and adapt it to the players. I have used many, many systems, not always 4-4-2.”
Elsewhere in Dublin there is speculation that Portsmouth’s on-loan midfielder Jamie O’Hara could be thinking over electing to play for Ireland.
The decision of Everton defender Shane Duffy, a regular for the Northern Ireland u-21 side, to switch to Ireland has been greeted with some delight.
Nigel Worthington was forced to admit at his squad announcement that Duffy had chosen to move south to further his international career, following the example set by Darron Gibson of Manchester United.
Sadly, but not surprisingly, Cork City have been denied a licence to play in the top division but a supporters group has been set up to continue football in the city and are hopeful of kicking off the new season in Division One against Derry City.
The Cork supporters have been working closely with the 400 Group at Shamrock Rovers who have revived the club from the ashes with Neil Lennon’s development squad visiting Tallaght Stadium tonight in front of a sell-out 6,500 crowd.