Gavin Cooney

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND manager Heimir Hallgrimsson today revealed that Troy Parrott is also a doubt for October’s World Cup qualifiers against Portugal and Armenia with a knee ligament injury. 

Parrott has made an outstanding start to the season for AZ Alkmaar, scoring 10 goals in his first seven games, but suffered an injury in training which ruled him out of this week’s qualifiers at home to Hungary and away to Armenia. Celtic striker Johnny Kenny has been called up in his stead, primarily as he offers a similar threat in behind opposition defences as Parrott. 

Such is the compressed fixture list of Ireland’s four-team qualifying group, Parrott is now at risk of missing its majority. 

“Every course would like to have the top scorer in Europe in his team, when something like this happens you can feel sorry for yourself, but imagine the player himself, in such good form. I feel for him. Luckily we have players in his position doing really well at the moment, so we have to focus on the players that are here.” 

Ireland otherwise have a fully fit squad. Liam Scales rolled his ankle in Sunday’s Old Firm derby and has not trained yet this week, but Hallgrimsson expects him to be fine for Saturday’s game. Evan Ferguson is with the squad, but will leave camp tomorrow to attend his grandfather’s funeral.

“A lot of the players in a good moment with their clubs at the moment, playing well and leading their teams, so we have been in a worse situation than we are in now”, said the Irish manager. 

Hallgrimsson also played down the disruption caused by yesterday’s transfer movements, with Adam Idah and Chiedozie Ogbene missing training to complete moves to Swansea and Sheffield United respectively. Given yesterday was primarily a recovery and analysis day, Hallgrimsson plans to have the duo catch up on what they missed.  Though Ogbene has been sent out on loan by Ipswich to get sharp following a long injury lay-off, Hallgrimsson says he has no qualms about the forward’s readiness for what lies in store this week. 

With Hungary likely to be Ireland’s main rival for second spot and a play-off for the World Cup, Hallgrimsson called for a “magical” atmosphere at the Aviva Stadium and did not shirk from calling it a must-win game. 

“It feels like it”, said the Irish manager. “We’re not hiding away from that. It’s a really, really important game for us if we want to qualify for the World Cup.” 

Hallgrimsson was meanwhile asked about the story that was broken over the weekend by the Sunday Independent, with Eileen Gleeson taking a discrimination case over unequal pay between the senior men’s and women’s team managers. Where Hallgrimsson’s annual salary is a reported €650,000, Gleeson’s remuneration during her time in the job was a reported €100,000. The FAI say they are preparing a strong legal defence against Gleeson’s claims.

Asked whether the men’s and women’s senior managers should be paid the same, given the FAI pay men’s and women’s senior international players the same match fees, Hallgrimsson said it was not a matter for him. 

“That’s not for me to decide, if I can only talk from my point of view”, said Hallgrimsson.

“In this one I was offered a job and it was my decision if I took it or refused it. A lot of coaches will do the same things as I’m doing, having a lot more money for that. There’s also a lot of coaches as well doing the same thing as I’m doing, getting less salaries than me.

“That’s just us, I can’t accept a job offer or refuse it, it’s my right. That has nothing to do with gender in my opinion. Equal pay is someone else’s decision, but it’s the same as players. The highest paid players in the world don’t play more games or don’t do more training, but they are valued higher. The valuation in this game is someone else’s decision.”