THERE SURELY aren’t too many players anywhere in the world who are as experienced as Lee O’Connor when it comes to competing in international football at underage level.
The Waterford native has 73 underage caps to his name, plus a senior debut in a friendly with New Zealand back in November 2019.
O’Connor is Ireland’s most-capped underage player currently in the squad, although Conor Coventry has more U21 caps.
And he is expected to feature once again when Ireland face Sweden away in a crucial Euros qualifier for both sides on Tuesday.
Competing at a major tournament would be a fitting end to a decorated underage career in which O’Connor’s accolades have included U15, U19 and U21 Player of the Year due to his performances in setups that have not been short on talented players.
“It’s my last chance to do it. To be the first [Irish] team to [qualify at U21 level], it’s what we all want to do. It would mean a hell of a lot,” he says.
It’s been already been an eventful year for O’Connor on the club front. He has been playing regularly with Tranmere for the past two seasons, but it was only in January that he moved there permanently, leaving Celtic in the process.
The League Two outfit lost out in the playoffs last year and are vying for promotion again this time around — they are currently in fifth place, nine points behind leaders Forest Green.
“I just wanted to get playing again, get week in week out and that’s what I’m doing now,” he says. “We’re doing well, so I’m really enjoying it.
“[Leaving Celtic] was pretty straightforward for me. I think I needed to do it for the good of my career. That’s what it came down to, that’s the only thing I was thinking about.
“I could have maybe waited until the summer [to leave], but I just wanted to play really. I just needed to play games. I thought at the age I’m at now, the thing I needed the most was to play games.
“It was pretty much down to me. Once Tranmere said they wanted me and I decided that’s where I wanted to go, it was pretty straightforward and that was that.”
There is the sense that O’Connor felt his career was drifting at Celtic. First-team opportunities were not forthcoming and he was ultimately too old for their U20s team, and this lack of game time was initially a problem when he moved clubs.
“When I eventually went on loan out to Tranmere, I wasn’t fit enough. It took me not a long time but I was out of the team for a while because I had to get my fitness up. But [aside from] that, it’s a great club. It didn’t work out for me [at Celtic], but there are still a lot of Irish lads there and they’ll enjoy it there.”
In addition, the 21-year-old usually plays at full-back or wing-back when he lines out for Ireland U21s, but he has been deployed in central midfield for Tranmere of late.
“I’m quite enjoying it,” he says. “Since I was a kid I’ve played on the wing, I’ve played everywhere. It’s something I’ve always done and something I don’t mind doing. I’ve always said, as long as I’m playing, I’m completely happy. Wherever the manager needs me here or back at the club, I’m happy to do it.”
