STAR RYAN CAN’T WAIT TO IMPRESS
RYAN Manning has waited two years for today’s Ireland Under-21 debut and he plans to impress Martin O’neill in the process. Noel King’s side take on Kosovo in their Euro opener at Tallaght Stadium (1pm) with the Ireland senior manager and his assistant Roy Keane due to attend. The 20-year-old Galway native has been the breakthrough Irish player in England this season, initially forcing his way into the QPR team for the win at Wolves on New Year’s Eve. That was the first of 12 outings granted by Ian Holloway, who has converted the Irishman from striker into holding midfielder. It’s a change fully embraced by Manning, his adaptability another reason why O’neill may consider calling him up in the summer. First up for the former Galway player is consolidating his place in an Under-21 team he’s yearned to be part of since moving to England in early 2015. “This is the first time I’ve been involved with Ireland since moving to QPR two years ago, so I’m glad to be finally here,” said Manning. “Every boy growing up in Ireland wants to play for the senior team and that’s ultimately my ambition. “However, the best way of giving myself the best chance of achieving that is by impressing Martin and Roy on occasions like this. “The priority is to start the campaign by beating Kosovo. I know a lot of the lads from when I played in the Ireland Under-19 squad and we’re determined to win in front of our home crowd.” Holloway (inset) has big plans for Manning, after handing him a lucrative long-term contract and placing him at the forefront of his new-look team for next season. That has meant wrapping the player in cotton wool at times, a pattern Manning is slowly realising has his best interests at heart. He said: “There is a bit of frustration from not playing every week but the manager and medical staff know what they’re doing. That’s part of managing my game-time. “Things have gone really well at QPR in recent months and we’re one of the form sides in the Championship. Our focus is finishing the season strongly and go at getting promoted next season.”