Aiden McGeady has already done enough this season to play his way back into contention for a place in Martin O’Neill’s starting line-up.
However as the Republic of Ireland manager named a 39-strong preliminary squad for the games against Wales and Iceland, he suggested the 30-year-old’s performances between now and the summer for club and country may define what remains of his playing career.
McGeady, who is on loan at Championship side Preston North End, has a year left on his contract at Everton. But, having failed to nail a place down under the manager who signed him, he has fallen completely out of favour under Ronald Koeman with the midfielder acknowledging recently that he may well leave in the summer.
That, O’Neill suggests, might be his last chance to make a real impact at the top level in England.
“I think Aiden has had a look at himself and realised: ‘I’ve really got to do something . . . I’m not getting any younger,’” says the Ireland manager. “This is not embryonic talent anymore. You have to fulfil it.
“He has got what I would call Premier League feet – there is no doubt at all about that. He twists and turns and can go past players and there are not that many people in the game who can do those things.
‘Fantastic footwork’
“But he can frustrate himself because he knows – he is a bright lad – that he cannot help himself. Seriously, he cannot help himself. He just feels ‘I can do this’ and what will happen is that he will have lost the ball, the other team will have attacked from that mistake and it might have caused a few problems. Then, suddenly, when you lose the ball two or three times as a dribbler you lose a bit of confidence.
“My advice to him has been to play his football in the right areas. I think that has been a problem for him. Do all that fantastic footwork where it really matters. And I think that if he did that then he would be playing in the big league.
“I would seriously doubt [he has a future at Everton]. I think between now and the end of the season will probably define where he’s going to go and how he’s going to approach it.
“What I feel now is that in the Premier League I don’t think you can afford, at the very, very top level, to carry players unless they are producing one in every three moves or something like this.
“As you know, I’ve always had great faith in his ability and evidently now [Preston manager] Simon Grayson has given him this freedom to go and express himself and I think he’s really enjoying it.
“I saw him a couple of weeks ago and he’s looking fitter and more athletic again and that comes from playing a lot of games. His confidence is definitely up and you know he is a confidence player anyway. The manager believes in him which is good news.
‘Top teams’
“But those are the type of things, if anyone was sending scouts to Preston’s matches or even our games if Aiden gets on the field, those are the type of things that Premier League people would be looking at. And when I mention the top teams, it might even actually apply to the sides who struggle in the Premier League. Can they afford that?
“You have to weigh one thing up against the other. The ability to beat players and create – how often do you do that? Can you take that chance against somebody who will be more workmanlike.”
McGeady has long been a favourite of O’Neill who played a big part in bringing him through at Celtic but this is not the first time that the Derry man has lamented the player’s failure to make the very most of his talent.
His problems at club level have certainly limited his opportunities on the international stage over the past couple of years although more recently James McClean’s form for Ireland has been at least as big a factor.
O’Neill insists the pair can play in the same team and Robbie Brady’s suspension might just open the door to the 30-year-old but an appearance from the bench looks a more realistic prospect despite his consistently strong form for Preston on the Championship this season.
O’Neill meanwhile, says he is hopeful that both James McCarthy and Ciaran Clark will be available for the game against Wales despite injuries.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND NEWCOMERS
John Egan
The 24-year-old defender has continued to progress at Brentford this year where he has played on the right side of three centre-backs or, since the club reverted to playing four across the back, either side of the central pairing.
He likes to get the ball down and push forward into midfield when the opportunity arises.
O’Neill mentioned having seen a bit of him when he was very young at Sunderland and was impressed even then by his attitude. He has a bit of a pedigree: his father was the All-Ireland winning Kerry footballer of the same name, his mother an accomplished soccer player.
Liam Kelly
The bigger surprise of the two, Kelly only made his first-team debut for Reading back in August and hadn’t started a home game in the league until December 26th but he has been praised by manager Jaap Stam for his passing, movement and technique.
Born in Reading, the 21-year-old central midfielder has been on the club’s books since he was eight. Had a loan spell last season at non-league Bath where he showed an eye for goal although his most spectacular effort to date came in a game for the Irish under-19s against Sweden.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND PROVISIONAL SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Colin Doyle (Bradford City), Rob Elliot (Newcastle United), Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday).
Defenders: Séamus Coleman (Everton), Cyrus Christie, Richard Keogh, Alex Pearce (all Derby County), Paul McShane (Reading), Andy Boyle (Preston North End), John O'Shea (Sunderland), Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United), John Egan (Brentford), Stephen Ward (Burnley), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Midfielders: Aiden McGeady, Daryl Horgan (both Preston North End), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), James McCarthy (Everton), Jeff Hendrick, Robbie Brady (both Burnley), David Meyler (Hull City), Liam Kelly (Reading), Darron Gibson (Sunderland), Harry Arter (Bournemouth), Eunan O'Kane (Leeds United), Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City), Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City), Callum O'Dowda (Bristol City), Jonathan Hayes (Aberdeen), James McClean (West Bromwich Albion).
Forwards: Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids), Shane Long (Southampton), David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town), Daryl Murphy (Newcastle United), Adam Rooney (Aberdeen), Jonathan Walters (Stoke City).
