HE HAS NEVER been the fans’ favourite but Republic of Ireland midfielder Paul Green still savours every minute he spends with the national team.
If people want to target and criticise him they’re perfectly entitled to their opinions, he says, but he’s not letting it get him down.
There were plenty of raised eyebrows again last weekend when Green made the cut in Giovanni Trapattoni’s 23-man squad for the make-or-break qualifiers against Sweden and Austria.
But Green is confident that if the manager is picking him, he must be doing something right.
Since making his international debut back in May 2010, he has earned the most precious commodity that an Irish player can possess: Trapattoni’s trust. Trust that he will listen to the manager’s instructions; trust that he will carry them out to the letter, relentlessly.
Still, every time Green’s name appears on a squad list, it is used as a stick to beat the Italian. Surprise was the general consensus when he travelled to the European Championships last summer, even more so when he made a brief cameo in the final minutes of the drubbing against Spain.
When Darron Gibson turned down a late call for the friendly against Poland last month, it was Green who stepped in instead. No matter what criticism people throw at him, nobody can doubt his commitment.
And yet the Ireland fans have never warmed to him. Does he feel he has a point to prove when he pulls on the green jersey?
“The fans are allowed their opinions and things like that,” Green explains. “You’ve got to be thick-skinned in this game.
You might take some criticism but there are other days when you might get some praise, so you’ve got to take it both ways really.I seem to be playing regularly for my club now and I’m getting called up now, so [the managers] must think something about me if I’m being called up.
Everybody’s allowed their opinion and like I say, it’s up to them what they think.
He’s not the flashiest or most creative player but graft goes a long way in this game and Green has carved out a regular spot for himself at club level as well.
Without a team after Euro 2012, Neil Warnock took a punt to bring him to Leeds United and is getting full value for the move. Green has made 28 appearances so far this season, taking the former Derby County man towards a total of almost 150 in the Championship not to mention his seven seasons as a youngster with Doncaster Rovers in the lower leagues.
Given 45 minutes to impress against Poland last month he took his chance, hassling and harrying in the manner that Trapattoni will demand from his players in Stockholm. At training in Malahide today he was one of the “bibbed” team for the squad’s training match, lining out alongside the bulk of Trapattoni’s expected starting XI.
It’s very early in the week to be reading into such little details, and Wigan’s James McCarthy is still the prohibitive favourite to partner Glenn Whelan in midfield, but Green’s Polish performance may have moved him up Trap’s pecking order.
I enjoyed it against Poland. It was a late call-up again — I think I only trained 15 minutes — and to get 45 minutes was great. I felt good, felt strong, felt like I got about and broke it up a little bit.
He adds: “There’s enough backup there. That’s why he brings people in, just in case there is injuries, so he must trust us to come in and do a job. We’ll see what happens but there are two quality Premier League midfielders there to start.”
Come Friday night and the first of two crucial games, Green knows that Ireland need to be at full strength to tackle an intimidating Swedish side on home turf.
“They’ve top quality players in there. They’re going to be tough but I’m sure the gaffer will get us ready for the game.
“Germany are a strong outfit and it’s more or less a fight for that second spot. If we can get something in Sweden and then pick up three points at home, we’ll be there or thereabouts.”
