The 28-year-old Dublin-born winger had never been called up to the Irish senior side previously, but has earned his reward following a series of fine performances in Scotland.
So while Hayes’ call-up may come as a surprise to many Irish football fans, for regular Scottish Premiership watchers, it must seem long overdue.
“I’m surprised he hasn’t been called up before,” Sean Wallace, senior sport writer with Aberdeen-based newspaper the Evening Express tells The42. “He’s been probably Aberdeen’s best player this season or for the last two seasons really. He’s been absolute fantastic. He very rarely has a poor game.”
It wasn’t until he joined Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2009 that his footballing life really took off, scoring 23 goals in 85 appearances and helping the team win promotion to the Scottish top flight.
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After signing for Aberdeen in 2012, he had an encouraging first season with the Dons, immediately becoming a virtual ever-present in the team, but even then, Hayes wasn’t fully satisfied with the performances he was producing.
In his first season, he did well,” Wallace explains. “But he admitted after that season that he maybe wasn’t as fit as he should have been. The second summer he was at Pittodrie, he more or less sacrificed that summer to train alone rather than go on holiday. There were huge benefits to that. He really beefed up and looked leaner as well.”
Hayes’ impeccable attitude and determination is evident on the field as well as off it. This season, he has been a key player in Aberdeen’s unlikely title challenge, with Derek McInnes’ side currently second in the table and just four points off leaders Celtic.
“To use the old cliché: he’d run through a brick wall for the team. He was out injured recently for about a month with a torn hamstring. He came back and he was absolutely sensational. When he was playing against Dundee United, he had to wear special leggings to support his hamstring, but he was still the standout player on the pitch.
He’s an old-fashioned winger. He gets the ball and just drives at full-backs and pings in crosses. He switches wings with (Northern Irish international) Niall McGinn — they switch back and forth from the left to the right a lot of times to confuse defences.
“He seems to have a knack for scoring in big games against Celtic as well — stunning goals. Two seasons ago, he got Premiership Goal of the Season for a volley against Celtic at Pittodrie. Fraser Forster had set a new record for clean sheets and he broke that.
“I’d be surprised if he wasn’t in the Scottish Premiership Team of the Season (this year) and he might just get a nod for Player of the Season as well.”
Hayes, who can also play central midfield and left-back, is not the only Irish player to catch the eye in Scotland this season. Having been nominated for Scottish Player of the Year last season, striker Adam Rooney has continued his excellent form this campaign, scoring 19 goals in 34 appearances in all competitions. And were it not for an unfortunately timed injury, Rooney may well have been joining Hayes in the Irish squad this week.
“Adam’s been great as well,” Wallace says. “He just seems to be in the right place at the right time. He’s a penalty-box striker — most of his goals are from six-to-eight yards out.
I can’t think of any weaknesses in either of them. They both do the job they’re asked to do. A lot of people say that Rooney isn’t mobile enough, but he puts in a lot of graft, tracks back defensively and he’s great at holding up the ball.
“But he wasn’t used much in Europe by Aberdeen at the start of the season. It’s been the same the last two campaigns. They used David Goodwillie, because of his style. He was better at holding up the ball.”
And finally, does Wallace believe the duo are good enough to step up a level and make an impact for Ireland at the 2016 Euros?
With Hayes, definitely. He’s the sort of player who can turn a game. It’d be difficult for Rooney because he’d be taking a huge step up in level, but if you’re looking (for someone) to provide goals, I think Jonny could definitely do it.
“But Adam, any time he’s been asked and the pressure’s been on him, he’s always delivered. And it couldn’t do any harm having a player that scores 25 goals-plus a season in the squad, so I think (Martin O’Neill) should take both.”
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'Aberdeen's best player for the last 2 seasons' - Ireland new boy setting Scotland alight
ABERDEEN STAR JONNY Hayes was among the more unfamiliar names to be included in Martin O’Neill’s latest Ireland squad.
The 28-year-old Dublin-born winger had never been called up to the Irish senior side previously, but has earned his reward following a series of fine performances in Scotland.
So while Hayes’ call-up may come as a surprise to many Irish football fans, for regular Scottish Premiership watchers, it must seem long overdue.
“I’m surprised he hasn’t been called up before,” Sean Wallace, senior sport writer with Aberdeen-based newspaper the Evening Express tells The42. “He’s been probably Aberdeen’s best player this season or for the last two seasons really. He’s been absolute fantastic. He very rarely has a poor game.”
Hayes was not necessarily a player destined for stardom. The former Ireland U21 international struggled to make an impact at both Reading and Leicester in the early stages of his career.
It wasn’t until he joined Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2009 that his footballing life really took off, scoring 23 goals in 85 appearances and helping the team win promotion to the Scottish top flight.
After signing for Aberdeen in 2012, he had an encouraging first season with the Dons, immediately becoming a virtual ever-present in the team, but even then, Hayes wasn’t fully satisfied with the performances he was producing.
Hayes’ impeccable attitude and determination is evident on the field as well as off it. This season, he has been a key player in Aberdeen’s unlikely title challenge, with Derek McInnes’ side currently second in the table and just four points off leaders Celtic.
“To use the old cliché: he’d run through a brick wall for the team. He was out injured recently for about a month with a torn hamstring. He came back and he was absolutely sensational. When he was playing against Dundee United, he had to wear special leggings to support his hamstring, but he was still the standout player on the pitch.
“He seems to have a knack for scoring in big games against Celtic as well — stunning goals. Two seasons ago, he got Premiership Goal of the Season for a volley against Celtic at Pittodrie. Fraser Forster had set a new record for clean sheets and he broke that.
“I’d be surprised if he wasn’t in the Scottish Premiership Team of the Season (this year) and he might just get a nod for Player of the Season as well.”
Hayes, who can also play central midfield and left-back, is not the only Irish player to catch the eye in Scotland this season. Having been nominated for Scottish Player of the Year last season, striker Adam Rooney has continued his excellent form this campaign, scoring 19 goals in 34 appearances in all competitions. And were it not for an unfortunately timed injury, Rooney may well have been joining Hayes in the Irish squad this week.
“Adam’s been great as well,” Wallace says. “He just seems to be in the right place at the right time. He’s a penalty-box striker — most of his goals are from six-to-eight yards out.
“But he wasn’t used much in Europe by Aberdeen at the start of the season. It’s been the same the last two campaigns. They used David Goodwillie, because of his style. He was better at holding up the ball.”
And finally, does Wallace believe the duo are good enough to step up a level and make an impact for Ireland at the 2016 Euros?
“But Adam, any time he’s been asked and the pressure’s been on him, he’s always delivered. And it couldn’t do any harm having a player that scores 25 goals-plus a season in the squad, so I think (Martin O’Neill) should take both.”
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