EARLIER THIS YEAR, Seattle Sounders’ winger Lamar Neagle revealed his enthusiasm for a potential call-up to the Republic of Ireland setup under Martin O’Neill.
The 28-year-old admitted he had been approached by an Irish scout but it seems the initial interest has cooled with the senior side immersed in European qualifiers.
Neagle qualifies for Ireland through his Irish-born grandmother while he and his mother both successfully applied for their Irish passports recently.
Last night, he grabbed two goals as Seattle easily swept aside local rivals Vancouver 3-0 in the CONCACAF Champions League – a win that ensured their place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
Since re-signing with the Sounders in 2013, Neagle has been in terrific form. In his first season back in the Pacific Northwest, he scored eight goals and tallied four assists in 30 games.
Last term, he was even better and scored nine times while racking up nine assists.
This season, he has tailed off somewhat but with O’Neill’s recent squad selections including some new faces, it surely makes sense to give opportunities to players in solid form and who are keen to pull on a green shirt.
