BRADY NEEDS
FIVE years ago Robbie Brady raced across the pitch in Lille and into the embrace of future wife Kerrie Harris.
His stunning headed goal from Wes Hoolahan’s cross just seconds earlier would prove sufficient to beat Italy and propel Ireland into the last 16 of Euro 2016.
For Brady, his Ireland team mates and Boys in Green fans of this generation, this was their Stuttgart, Genoa and Giants Stadium moment and they celebrated accordingly.
Within seven months, Brady was setting a new Burnley transfer record with his €14m move from Norwich City to join long time friend and fellow ex-St Kevin’s Boys star Jeff Hendrick at Turf Moor.
Future
If Hendrick is this morning pondering his Newcastle United future following the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund’s €360m purchase of the club, at least he’s in the possession of a contract that’s worth in the region of €50,000 per week.
It also runs to June 2024 when Hendrick will be 32 so he’s got plenty of money to be made from his deal during the intervening period.
Even if the Dubliner leaves St James Park on a loan basis or permanently, he’ll be financially protected by the fact that he will continue to either receive the full value of his wages or a settlement that pays up his contract.
Brady, however, can only look on with a degree of envy at his northside neighbour given his current status without a club.
It’s now more than three months since Brady last received a weekly pay cheque into his bank account since preferring to leave the Clarets even though there was a contract offer on the table.
It was a brave move b y t he gifted midfielder who felt that he needed a new lease of life after four and a h alf seasons w ith Sean Dyche.
Unfortunately for the 5 7- t i m e s - capped international, initial strong summer interest by
Celtic, Swansea City and Watford didn’t translate into firm offers of a contract.
Now, with the intense autumnwinter-spring schedule set to start with only one last November international window to be played, Brady remains without a club.
WHAT A NIGHT: Brady with Stephen Quinn in Lille
Campaign
Further more, given his horrendously unfortunate run of injuries since midway through the 201718 campaign and that culminated with last March’s Achilles problem, the 29-year-old is saddled with reservations over his fitness by managers. Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock articulated this last week when asked about his reported interest in Brady. According to Warnock, when signing an outof-contract player in Oc- tober the club must be very wary of h is m a t ch fit- ness.
Even recent precedent suggests that Brady might struggle to have a sustained impact over 90 minutes at senior level.
On his comeback off the bench during the second half of Ireland’s 1-0 Euros win away to Gibraltar in March 2019, Brady’s sharpness was lacking although that was hardly a surprise given his two-year battle with a series of serious injuries.
A knee issue sidelined the exSt Kevin’s Boys lad midway through the 2017-18 campaign while he was then hindered by hamstring, hip and groin problems on his return.
These ailments limited Brady’s Premier League involvement during his four full seasons with Burnley to just 15, 16, 17 and 19 games with a large number of these appearances made off the bench.
While Brady opted not to accept an offer of a new contract from the Clarets last summer, Dyche was happy to allow the Ireland star to continue his rehab and recovery regime at the club after his deal expired at the end of June.
Brady’s ability has never been in doubt but his injury record in recent years counts against him.
So the former Manchester United and Norwich City man may need to lower his financial sights when it comes to securing a new club — a factor referenced by Warnock who sought to distance himself from suggestions that he might snap up the out