STEPHEN KENNY HAS already unearthed one attacking diamond in Chiedozie Ogbene.
This time another might just have landed in the Republic of Ireland manager’s lap.
He revealed on Monday how Blackpool winger CJ Hamilton had come forward to declare his international allegiances.
Even the Ireland boss admitted it was an option that came from left field. “A player has come to our attention and has declared. His paperwork is done,” Kenny explained
“It was one that we weren’t monitoring until he came to our attention, we had no idea really.”
Graham Coughlan is one of the few who did.
The Dubliner was Hamilton’s manager from December 2019 to October 2020 during his time with Mansfield Town in League Two, and it was then that the attacker with deep Waterford ties first confirmed his allegiances.
“I remember he said something to me at training and I replied ‘ask me arse’ or something like that. Then he said ‘póg mo thóin’ and before I knew it he was speaking Irish to me.
“Then he started singing The Fields of Athenry around the place and he would come to me and my assistant Joe Dunne (another Dubliner) for full on conversations about the GAA.
“After that I made sure he was always on the Irish side in the five-a-sides,” Coughlan laughs.
Hamilton’s mother is from Waterford and he played soccer for Carrick United as well as hurling with Clonea before moving to England permanently.
He loves his hurling and is very knowledgeable. We tried to get it out there and let people know he was Irish, but nobody really wanted to know. And let’s be honest, nobody took any notice because at the time we were in a relegation battle in League Two and that’s not where you wanted to be looking for international players.
“But CJ wanted to progress, he worked hard and has massive ambition. He wanted to play at the highest level, be it the Championship or Premier League.
“And when he came to me about international football, what I loved is that said he told me that he wanted to play for his country, it wasn’t one of those coming and saying ‘oh, I’d like to play for Ireland if I could’. He has wanted to play for his country for as long as I can remember.”
Hamilton’s move to Blackpool, helping them to secure promotion from League One and survival in the Championship this term, has brought his dream closer to reality.
He turned 27 last month and Coughlan believes his speed, combined with the football intelligence required to adapt to different roles, makes him primed to take the opportunity if it should come – much like the rise of Ogbene.
“In terms of what Ireland would be getting, CJ is a left-footed flying machine. He’s probably the quickest player I’ve coached or managed. He’s like lightening. I played 3-5-2 with wing backs and realised that he was wasted at wing back, I wanted him higher up.
“I made it a 3-4-3 so he could be one of the outside forwards. He’s very adaptable, very smart. He played as the left side of a four in a 4-4-2 and also as a 10 when I went 4-4-1-1.
He is outstanding at pressing and releasing pressure. He will get us up the pitch with his pace but he has the ability to maintain the ball.
“He has kicked on,” Coughlan continues. “He’s not jumped straight in at the top level, he’s worked hard for what he’s good. From League Two to the Championship. He’s crawled, walked and then ran. We won’t know if he can go play the next level until he’s given a go.”
The prospect of seeing him linking up with Ogbene in a green jersey is one that excites Coughlan.
“I watched Chieo [Ogbene] a lot at Rotherham because they are on my doorstep. He’s fantastic, he won’t be there for much longer either. If you were to give me Chieo and CJ in an Ireland team tomorrow, it would be electrifying.
“You’ve got my juices flowing just thinking about it,” Coughlan laughs. “Because we would have serious pace on the counter when we needed to play that way but would also have a threat if we needed to play with three strikers.
“CJ and Chieo could switch on both sides, they could mix it through the middle if needed, but with a main striker in between them that would be really, really exciting.”
Originally published at 07.56
