DAD INKS MY TATTS ARE NOT VERY COOL

JEFF HENDRICK has revealed that his Dad hates his tattoos! The Republic of Ireland star is a big fan of ink and has a number of elaborate designs across his body, most notably on his arms and legs. “There are loads of stories behind them all . . . but I don’t think we need to be talking about them or writing about them,” he laughed yesterday. “I was always into tattoos as a kid. My Dad doesn’t like them but it’s something I like.” Hendrick admits it was pointless trying to hide his first ever tattoo from his father. “I couldn’t, it was a full arm sleeve! It was summer as well so it was hard. “It’s my body and a lot of people in the family have tattoos so it’s up to us. I waited until I was 21 to get it done, it’s not as if I was 12.” But the Dubliner does not intend going full James Mcclean with his body art, adding: “This is me done now for a little while. “I keep saying that, so we’ll wait and see.” Meanwhile, Hendrick has issued a tongue-in-cheek appeal to the FAI to stump up a chessboard at the team hotel. At the Euros in France last summer, some of the squad set up a chess school to distract from football but still keep the mind sharp. Hendrick, Aiden Mcgeady (above), Richard Keogh and Stephen Ward were the main players battling it out on the boards. But Hendrick said yesterday: “There’s no chess board here so I haven’t been able to beat Aido for a while. I’m sure he’s been practising too. I’m sure they’ll get one in soon enough.”

There is no chess board so I haven’t beaten Aiden at it for a while