Cillian Sheridan and Darren O’Dea have been staking their international claims ahead of next week’s international double header with Algeria and Paraguay.
The glamour of the World Cup and training sessions in Austria couldn’t have been further away than on Tuesday afternoon when an Ireland XI faced an Irish U-23 side with players drawn from the League of Ireland.
Anthony Stokes got the only goal of the game and was partnered by Sheridan for the last half hour with both strikers looking to advance their international prospects.
While O’Dea has gone some way to establishing himself at Celtic since returning from his loan spell at Reading, Sheridan hasn’t started a Celtic game in over 18 months.
Next season will be crucial to the future careers’ of both players who have caught the eye of Giovanni Trapattoni despite not yet being regulars at Celtic.
Looking back on Tuesday’s game against the u-23 side Trapattoni said: “It was important for us to see these players. They were good and Cillian Sheridan gave me a pleasant surprise.
“It was an important game for me and now we must monitor their progress for the future.”
The Irish squad has been badly depleted for the end of season matches with Aiden McGeady the latest high profile call off, returning to Celtic to assess knee ligament damage, whilst Wigan boss Roberto Martinez withdrew James McCarthy in order to give him an extra break during the close season.
McCarthy and McGeady were the subject of lots of hysteria within Scotland for opting to play for Ireland.
The Irish have always made open and honest use of legislation while others such as Scotland have capped players like Matt Elliot, Andy Goram and Stuart McCall whose international allegiances have been elsewhere while England haven’t been shy about claiming John Barnes and Owen Hargreaves.
Recent FIFA legislation coupled with changes brought about by the Good Friday agreement has allowed players who have played for the six counties up to u-21 level to move south with the defection of Everton defender Shane Duffy causing a storm with the Belfast based IFA appealing to FIFA to prevent Duffy turning out for the Republic.
Duffy’s case is brilliantly summed up in the Evening Herald as:
“Duffy, however, was born in Derry, and is therefore technically (however sadly) a native of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. So until a decision is reached by the Swiss-based body, the Court of Arbitration on Sport (CAS) on his eligibility after the IFA in Belfast complained about the Republic’s ‘poaching’ of the player, he’s unable to play in any official games at any level for the FAI.”
Central defender Duffy has made two first team appearances for Everton and is as candid describing his situation as he is uncompromising on the park.
He told the Evening Herald: “I just wanted to get out there and play and I think I did OK. It was a big thing for me to come down here and play for the Republic. It’s something I always wanted to do and the lads in the squad and the staff were great with me, they really helped me settle in.
“I know that because of all the FIFA stuff I can’t play in the two friendly games next week but I will stay with the squad for as long as I can, train as hard as I can and try to impress the manager and show him that I deserve to be in the squad when I get the all-clear to play.
“I think myself and Darren O’Dea had a good partnership at centre half. Even though he’s young Darren has a lot of experience. He’s played in the SPL and the Champions League for Celtic and he’s played for the Irish senior team before so that was great for me, to have someone like that beside me.
Duffy added: “It was a hard game for us as the U23 side were very sharp. They have some very good players in the side and they didn’t just turn up for the sake of it. They took the game to us and that’s what we needed. I just needed a game, I haven’t played much football in the last while.
“Last season went well for me. I got my Everton debut, played two games and won a player of the year award so it was a great season and being here with the Republic has finished it off nicely.”
Evening Herald article on Shane Duffy
Succinctly put. Why do other nations have defections and callups from players who barely even speak the language of their chosen country without barely a murmer-but when McGeady, McCarthy and Duffy choose the Republic over Scotland and the north, they are “traitors” and villified both on the terraces and more sinisterly, in the media? Are not all players equally entitled to decide their allegiances without being labelled and targeted? When O’Dea, Duffy and Sheridan all pull on the green of ROI, I for one will cheer loudly and applaud with vigour.Whilst the bigots seethe-we will rejoice. Hail Hail.
McGeady and McCarthy are two of your typical cases of media harassment. Scotland is a septic country for football, I should know, I’m from Glasgow.
I don’t give a toss who plays for what country but these guys are targeted by the same morons who glorify bigotry.