MAJOR TOURNAMENT BOLTERS are not unheard of in the history of Irish football.
Going into the 1990 World Cup, Alan McLoughlin had made just one appearance for Ireland but ended up featuring from the bench against both Egypt and England.
Similarly, in 1994, Gary Kelly, Jason McAteer and Phil Babb travelled to the USA tournament with just five caps each, yet went on to figure prominently in the competition.
Even prior to the 2012 Euros, the notoriously conservative Giovanni Trapattoni could not ignore the growing clamour for James McClean’s squad inclusion, with the Derry native making the final 23 with just three caps under his belt at the time.
However, Martin O’Neill calling up Brentford’s Scott Hogan this summer would surely be the biggest surprise of all.
The 24-year-old was not even considered a contender until recently, although Roy Keane’s appearance at the Huddersfield-Brentford game last weekend suggests the Irish management may be contemplating giving Hogan a chance to impress in the upcoming Holland friendly — the squad for which is named later today.
Speaking at a ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ event at the Aviva Stadium yesterday, Ireland coach Steve Guppy was not ruling out the possibility of Hogan being called up when asked about the player’s chances.
“There are plenty of players that you won’t know about that we’ve looked at,” the former Celtic and Leicester winger said.
“It’s just the process. It’s down to them at the end of the day. In a career, especially in football, you’ve got to make the best of your luck when it comes along.
I know Roy has been watching a number of players. If they catch his eye, then who knows? They could make a late charge, we’ll have to wait and see.”
Salford-born Hogan, who qualifies for Ireland through his grandparents, was non-committal when asked recently about the possibility of representing Ireland, telling getwestlondon.co.uk:
I’m eligible to play for (Ireland), but I’m a Brentford player, and the last thing I’m thinking of is who I’m going to represent internationally. It’s getting ahead of myself a bit too much.”
However, in a separate interview as quoted by The Independent, Hogan was less ambiguous on the Ireland question, explaining: “Roy Keane was at Huddersfield on Saturday apparently and if Roy Keane rang me up, I couldn’t say no to Roy Keane. He is one of my heroes.”
Winning an Ireland cap would continue a remarkable comeback for the player who has only managed seven appearances in total this season after recovering from two anterior cruciate injuries.
Yet despite Hogan’s long-term absence, he has garnered plenty of praise since his return to action off the bench against Blackburn back in March.
Since his comeback, the former League Two Player of the Year nominee has scored seven goals in his last four Championship games — of the Irish strikers considered in realistic contention for a squad place, only Jon Walters, Daryl Murphy, Adam Rooney and Shane Long have managed more goals this season while also enjoying far more game time.
Hogan — who has been compared to Leicester star Jamie Vardy — also scored 19 goals in 40 appearances for Rochdale in the 2013-14 campaign, before career-threatening injuries restricted him to just two appearances the following campaign.
His exploits in League Two at Rochdale were enough to earn him an Ireland U21 call-up, but Hogan turned down the opportunity to represent the Boys in Green, as the game in question clashed with a club fixture.
And Hogan is not the only player of interest to Ireland who has impressed with the Bees this season. Dublin-born midfielder Alan Judge was considered a strong contender for Martin O’Neill’s Euro 2016 squad, winning his first cap in the recent friendly with Switzerland, before a double leg break ruled him out of action beyond this summer. And Guppy says the 27-year-old was a player the Irish management were watching particularly closely in recent months following a series of eye-catching displays that ultimately earned Judge a Championship Player of the Year nomination.
I was watching a lot of Alan Judge just recently and that (injury) was an awful blow for the lad. He was one of the players that made a late charge — we kept a special eye on him because he was doing so well.
“Sometimes, it’s good for more than one person to look at a certain player, because everyone has their own ideas, so you get more of a balanced view.
And Judge is not the only Irish player that has caught Guppy’s eye.
“There have been some great performances this year — Jon Walters comes to mind for the campaign he had with us. He grew into the campaign and he was quite rightly named Irish Player of the Year. I think, in many ways, he drew the squad on with his performances and goals.
Shane Long, since the Germany goal, has really caught fire. I think (Southampton) have really got the benefit of that goal as much as we have. There are a lot of good performances out there that we can be optimistic about.”
And while Guppy is not ruling out surprises in relation to the upcoming squad selection, he is conscious of the need to strike a balance and ensure there is a healthy number of experienced players travelling to France.
We have spent the last two years watching players every week, so you try to give every player every chance. To whittle it down to 23 is very difficult, but ultimately, it will come down to the manager and Roy on the 23. There are going to be some tough decisions.
“There’s a certain level of loyalty to the lads who’ve been there and done it. Also, they’ve got the experience in big games. But there are definitely some lads who are making a late push. So it’s all there in the melting pot — everyone’s got a fighting chance. Since the campaign’s started, everyone’s had a good chance to show the manager what they’re really about.”
Steve Guppy was speaking at a Show Racism the Red Card event at the Aviva Stadium yesterday. For more info, click here.
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