JAMES MCCARTHY IS loving life back in the Irish set-up after missing out on the summer’s ill-fated adventure at the European championships.
The Scottish-born player, who turns 22 tomorrow, was due to be named in Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad for the finals in Poland but opted to sit out what would have been his first major tournament and remain at home with his family when his father Willie was diagnosed with cancer.
McCarthy returned to the fold for the beginning of the current World Cup qualifying campaign and has started the last five international games – including the 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Germany and the win away to the Faroe Islands four days later.
Speaking in his role as an ambassador for the popular EA Sports computer game FIFA 13 ahead of Wednesday’s friendly with Greece at the Aviva Stadium, the Wigan midfielder talked about his fondness for international football and his satisfaction at being handed a more prominent role in recent months.
“It’s brilliant to be involved,” McCarthy told TheScore. “The boys make me feel so welcome. I’m loving coming away with Ireland and am especially enjoying playing games.
I won’t get carried away and will keep working hard. If I keep playing, brilliant but if I don’t and need to wait on the bench, then I’ll be patient. We’ve got a lot of competition in there and it’s down to the boss but I’ll keep being patient and give it my all if selected.”
Ireland were comprehensively beaten in all three of their Euro 2012 Group C games during what was an understandably difficult period for the McCarthy family. On his father’s current condition, McCarthy added: ”He’s still getting treatment. He has had chemotherapy and is on radiotherapy now. He’s positive so that’s the main thing and hopefully it continues.
“It was so frustrating, me being at home and not being able to do anything about it. It was a bad tournament. For me personally, with the news about my dad and the family, it was tough. I think we can put that behind us now. We’re looking forward to the future and are going to try kick on now.”
James McCarthy appears in EA SPORTS FIFA13 – out now on all formats including PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, PC and iOS. Visit www.jointheclub13.com/uk/en for more info. (FIFA 13 is available from Smyths, Xtravision and Gamestop stores nationwide)
