Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ARTER’S JUST DELIGHTED TO BE BACK IN THE MIX AGAIN
HARRY ARTER knows the full value of being wanted as a footballer – but he knows the flip side too.
After playing just once for Mick Mccarthy – off the bench in the first Euro 2020 qualifier in Gibraltar – Arter was effectively in international exile.
But Stephen Kenny (right) made it a priority to get him back in the Ireland squad and to make him feel wanted.
Instead of a possible starting role against England tomorrow night – more than five years on from making his debut against the country of his birth – Arter suggests his international career could already be over but for the Dubliner.
“If Stephen hadn’t made the call I probably wouldn’t be sitting here now,” admitted the midfielder, who performed well against Finland last time out.
“It was very much the case that the confidence and belief that I felt he had in me to come back and make a difference, or at least be involved.
“It’s a lovely feeling, one that I appreciate. The older I ’ve got, definitely when you f eel li ke someone’s got your back and has trust in your ability, you really want to repay them for that.
“It would’ve been easy for Stephen not to select me or to go with the squad that he inherited, so he made a point that he wanted me to come back and try and influence the group.
“I’m so thankful for that and I’m probably speaking on behalf of all the lads, but I feel all of us have that want to do well for the manager.
“He’s quite an infectious guy, he has the lads very much on board with what he wants to do and there’s a real belief in the way he wants us to play - and how he’s getting us to play that way.
“I had watch ed hi s under-21 teams. They played a real good brand of football and one I can hopefully learn from and help in the same breath.
“There’s a real desire in the squad to want to get a win under Stephen. I feel our performances definitely deserved a victory along the way, and the lads are desperate for it.”
Having felt discarded at club level by Bournemouth, Arter felt wanted on loan at Fulham last year – playing under his brother in law Scott
Parker and playing his part in the club’s latest promotion to the Premier League. In fact, where Ireland are staying near Wembley was the same hotel where Fulham celebrated their success last summer.
His hopes of a permanent move didn’t work out, but there was no ill-feeling towards Parker.
“They wanted to go down the younger route recruitment-wise,” Arter ref lected. “I thoroughly enjoyed my year there.
“To get promoted with Scott and be part of his success as a manager is something I was very proud of. “I know how transfers work and it’s not just one person’s decision.” At Fulham it’s quite well known there’s a big process with how they sign players based on stats.
There was interest in him fr om three Turkish clubs including Beskitas, but Arter was i mpressed by S a b r i L a mo u c h i ’s plans to give him a central role at Nottingham Forest.
He signed for the Championship club but then, after the last international transfer window, Lamouchi made way for Chris Hughton.
Since then, Arter has started one of Forest’s four league games and came on as a sub in the other three.
He is yet to sit down for a one to one conversation with Hughton and Arter feels that a few injury niggles haven’t helped his cause.
“I wasn’t concerned,” he claimed. “But I was disappointed purely because three or four weeks ago the manager had good plans for the club and obviously wanted me to play a big part in that.
“You almost have to start again with a new manager – and I haven’t really been, in my opinion, given a real chance yet to get into the team.
“Hopefully over the next three or four games, the manager will give me that chance.
“It’s almost like a cleanslate for every player and a little bit disappointing that I didn’t get that opportunity at the start of Chris’ reign.
“But I’ll have to work hard and get into his team.”