Cillian Sheridan
EARLIER THIS MONTH, the 25 year-old striker spoke to RTE about his international ambitions:
I know it’s not just about me being [with] a team that’s in the Champions League, I need to be in a team and playing for them.”
Now at APOEL in Cyprus, Sheridan is involved at an under-rated level of the game. Anyone who saw his side narrowly losing out to Barcelona recently at the Nou Camp would acknowledge that the team is competitive. Domestically, APOEL have played three league games and won them all. Sheridan has started each one and came up trumps with an 87th-minute winner against Ermis the weekend before last. He also grabbed the fourth and final goal for the side as they thumped Danish side AaB in their Champions League play-off.
But the biggest positive with regard to Sheridan’s quest for an international opportunity is the amount of playing time he’s racking up. He’s starting every match. At the Nou Camp, he was wearing the number nine shirt and going head-to-head with Gerard Pique – not coming off the bench as an impact sub late on. He’s keeping his side of the deal. Perhaps its time for Martin O’Neill to keep his and give Sheridan a shot.
Jack Grealish
It said much that when Aston Villa re-emerged for the second half of their clash with Arsenal at the weekend, Jack Grealish was part of their team. Despite being 0-3 down at the break, Paul Lambert had little difficulty in throwing the 19 year-old into the mix. That’s how much Villa like him and it’s about time that he makes the step-up to senior level with the Republic of Ireland.
Of course, a lot depends on what Grealish wants to do. Earlier this month, much was made of the midfielder still being intent on keeping his options open and, with such an increase in his playing time and profile already this season, should he hold off much longer one gets the feeling that a call-up from Roy Hodgson may not be an unrealistic ambition.
On the cusp of regular first-team action at a top-flight side that have started the season so impressively, Grealish’s stock is rising rapidly. One gets the feeling that if he’s not named in O’Neill’s squad for the upcoming qualifiers, time may finally run out on the chances of him ever representing the senior side. And that would be a real shame.
Andy Reid
In any discussion about team selection, many will relentlessly beat the ‘youth development’ drum and it’s a fair point. But no squad should be pieced-together on the basis of keeping the average age down. Instead, a manager needs to choose the best players – those that have impressed regardless of location, history and date of birth.
Last term, Reid was in the form of his life: 10 goals in 36 appearances, included in the PFA Championship Team of the Season and voted Nottingham Forest’s Player of the Season. He was called into Noel King’s squads for the games against Germany and Kazakhstan and he played 75 minutes against the latter – his first appearance in a green shirt since 2008.
Under O’Neill, his resurrection has continued to a certain degree. He was included in the provisional squad for the games against Oman and Georgia but didn’t make the final cut.
This season, he’s started every one of Forest’s six Championship games – the club are flying high at the top of the table and remain unbeaten. The nagging injuries are always a concern (he suffered a knock at the weekend) but he remains competent and intelligent on the ball. He can be trusted to keep possession and offers an awareness that the team can lack much of the time.
Though there will be criticism in certain quarters, he’s certainly deserving of a place in a provisional squad while there are further arguments to be made for his inclusion in match-day groups too. At 32, he remains a consistent performer and the impressive performances of his club won’t do his hopes for more playing time any harm.
