NEW YORK CITY defender Kevin O’Toole says his Irish grandfather would be proud of his shock call-up to the Ireland senior squad.
American-born O’Toole was a surprise inclusion in Heimir Hallgrimsson’s squad to face Portugal and Hungary in this week’s World Cup qualifiers, with Ireland’s stocks at left-back heavily dwindled.
Robbie Brady and Callum O’Dowda are both injured, with Ryan Manning suspended for the clash with Portugal. Josh Honohan has meanwhile been managing an injury issue while playing for Shamrock Rovers. Will Ferry, called up to the squad last month, has been deemed not yet of the requisite level.
Advertisement
The paperwork necessary for O’Toole to change allegiance to Ireland was put in train in February, following a phone conversation with Hallgrimsson. The Irish boss also sought a character reference on O’Toole from his club team-mate Tayvon Gray, with whom Hallgrimsson had worked at Jamaica.
Hallgrimsson’s predecessor, Stephen Kenny, was aware of O’Toole’s eligibility but did not call him up.
O’Toole’s grandfather, Eric, was born in Dun Laoighre, and he emigrated to the US in 1958. Kevin was born in New York, though has regularly travelled to Ireland, as his sister Jillian plays with Treaty United. He also came for a golf trip at the end of 2023, playing the K Club and Trump Doonbeg.
“This was always a dream of mine, to represent this country and to do it for my grandfather”, says O’Toole. “We’ve got really strong Irish roots and connection. [I’ve] always been a proud descendant of an Irishman, and he’s always instilled those values in us. I’m just really happy to be representing this country.
“I’ve been thinking about him a lot since the call-up. I just feel like he’s been doing his service from above for me, to get me this opportunity. My dad is super proud, my mom is super proud, and I just want to do a job for them because they’ve invested so much in my career process. That’s the goal now.”
O’Toole went to Princeton University, where he graduated with a degree from their School of Public and International Affairs. While studying he continued to train with New York Red Bulls’ second team, and after leaving college he was drafted by their city rivals, for whom he has become the regular left-back.
“It’s not a traditional path, but I think it allowed me to hone a lot of my attacking skills and position me well for my professional career in America”, he says.
“I recognise the importance of these two matches that we have coming up, and I don’t take it lightly, for sure. Obviously, there have been injuries in the group in the position that I play. Robbie Brady, Callum O’Dowda, with Ryan Manning being on yellow card suspension.
“So I understand that my moment might come sooner than I’d expect. I’m just trying to be as focused as I can over these next two days to prepare myself for that opportunity. I think some of the qualities I bring are big energy box-to-box as a wingback. I can go 1v1 in the dribble and get back and defend as well.
“Obviously, it’s not super traditional integrating a new player at this point in a qualification campaign. I’m aware of that. The coaching staff have been super supportive in bringing me onboard really quickly. The guys in the squad have been unbelievable as well in supporting me and welcoming me into the group. I think just leaning on their experience and absorbing as much as I can is the best I can do to be prepared.”
Related Reads
'This is a guy you want' - Kevin O'Toole's journey from Ivy League to NYC and Ireland call-up
What Ireland now need to qualify for the World Cup playoffs
O'Toole in MLS action against Leo Messi. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
His fiancée Emma will be present for Thursday’s game with Portugal, as will his sister and his aunt. He is unsure his parents will make it, given his father has just started a new job in California and his mother is laid up with a couple of herniated disks.
Asked for his favourite Irish football memories, O’Toole alights on Robbie Brady’s goal against Italy at Euro 2016. He can’t have imagined that less than a decade later he would be replacing the same man in an Irish squad.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
'This was always a dream of mine, to represent this country and to do it for my grandfather'
NEW YORK CITY defender Kevin O’Toole says his Irish grandfather would be proud of his shock call-up to the Ireland senior squad.
American-born O’Toole was a surprise inclusion in Heimir Hallgrimsson’s squad to face Portugal and Hungary in this week’s World Cup qualifiers, with Ireland’s stocks at left-back heavily dwindled.
Robbie Brady and Callum O’Dowda are both injured, with Ryan Manning suspended for the clash with Portugal. Josh Honohan has meanwhile been managing an injury issue while playing for Shamrock Rovers. Will Ferry, called up to the squad last month, has been deemed not yet of the requisite level.
The paperwork necessary for O’Toole to change allegiance to Ireland was put in train in February, following a phone conversation with Hallgrimsson. The Irish boss also sought a character reference on O’Toole from his club team-mate Tayvon Gray, with whom Hallgrimsson had worked at Jamaica.
Hallgrimsson’s predecessor, Stephen Kenny, was aware of O’Toole’s eligibility but did not call him up.
O’Toole’s grandfather, Eric, was born in Dun Laoighre, and he emigrated to the US in 1958. Kevin was born in New York, though has regularly travelled to Ireland, as his sister Jillian plays with Treaty United. He also came for a golf trip at the end of 2023, playing the K Club and Trump Doonbeg.
“This was always a dream of mine, to represent this country and to do it for my grandfather”, says O’Toole. “We’ve got really strong Irish roots and connection. [I’ve] always been a proud descendant of an Irishman, and he’s always instilled those values in us. I’m just really happy to be representing this country.
“I’ve been thinking about him a lot since the call-up. I just feel like he’s been doing his service from above for me, to get me this opportunity. My dad is super proud, my mom is super proud, and I just want to do a job for them because they’ve invested so much in my career process. That’s the goal now.”
O’Toole went to Princeton University, where he graduated with a degree from their School of Public and International Affairs. While studying he continued to train with New York Red Bulls’ second team, and after leaving college he was drafted by their city rivals, for whom he has become the regular left-back.
“It’s not a traditional path, but I think it allowed me to hone a lot of my attacking skills and position me well for my professional career in America”, he says.
“I recognise the importance of these two matches that we have coming up, and I don’t take it lightly, for sure. Obviously, there have been injuries in the group in the position that I play. Robbie Brady, Callum O’Dowda, with Ryan Manning being on yellow card suspension.
“So I understand that my moment might come sooner than I’d expect. I’m just trying to be as focused as I can over these next two days to prepare myself for that opportunity. I think some of the qualities I bring are big energy box-to-box as a wingback. I can go 1v1 in the dribble and get back and defend as well.
“Obviously, it’s not super traditional integrating a new player at this point in a qualification campaign. I’m aware of that. The coaching staff have been super supportive in bringing me onboard really quickly. The guys in the squad have been unbelievable as well in supporting me and welcoming me into the group. I think just leaning on their experience and absorbing as much as I can is the best I can do to be prepared.”
His fiancée Emma will be present for Thursday’s game with Portugal, as will his sister and his aunt. He is unsure his parents will make it, given his father has just started a new job in California and his mother is laid up with a couple of herniated disks.
Asked for his favourite Irish football memories, O’Toole alights on Robbie Brady’s goal against Italy at Euro 2016. He can’t have imagined that less than a decade later he would be replacing the same man in an Irish squad.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
2026 world cup qualifiers Kevin O'Toole Republic Of Ireland