Steve Carr is likely to gain significant promotion next week when Mick McCarthy names his squad for the European Championship game against FYR Macedonia in Skopje on March 27th.
The Tottenham player is the probable beneficiary from the chain of misfortune which has befallen Ireland's full backs, with Jeff Kenna and Curtis Fleming joining Gary Kelly on the casualty list in recent weeks.
From a situation in which he was spoiled for choice in providing cover for Denis Irwin at right back, McCarthy has seen his options diminish at a remarkable rate in the approach to the resumption of his European qualifying programme.
However, in Carr he has a gifted prospect who, at 23, looks certain to enrich the national team for many years to come. Apart from a late call-up to the squad on one occasion two years ago, the Dubliner has been denied the opportunity of building on some exceptional performances in the under-21 team.
In the interim his development at Tottenham has been impressive. At a time when the club was struggling on several fronts, he was a stabilising influence in defence and little has changed since the arrival of George Graham at White Hart Lane.
Significantly, McCarthy was on his way to Barnsley last Saturday to watch Carr until an unplayable pitch brought about the postponement of their FA Cup quarterfinal against Tottenham. However, Ireland and Wimbledon defender Kenny Cunningham can assure the Ireland manager that Carr is capable of doing an important job for him.
"In the course of Wimbledon's recent five-game marathon with Spurs the most consistent player in either team by some way was Steve Carr," said Cunningham. "He's now the complete full back and I think it's just a matter of time before he breaks into Ireland's team."
Gareth Farrelly, another talented young player, has already achieved that distinction but, unlike Carr, his career at Everton has dipped sharply this season after scoring the crucial goal that kept the club in the Premiership in their final championship game against Coventry last season.
Injuries and Walter Smith's decision to import new players have restricted Farrelly's first-team football this season to just 10 minutes, in a game against Leeds Utd. Inevitably, it has precipitated speculation of an early move away from Goodison Park for Farrelly, and the good news is that he may soon be back from a 14-week lay-off through injury.
The hope is that the midfielder will be fully fit again before the transfer deadline expires on March 25th and that may give him the chance of convincing other clubs of a talent which has lain dormant for far too long.
