Kilbane: ‘Leaner’ Hendrick looks back to his best

HAVING watched him put in an excellent shift in Burnley’s win over Brighton on Saturday, Kevin Kilbane believes that Jeff Hendrick has discovered his best form.

The midfielder has endured a bit of a slump over the last year and hasn’t really kicked on after his outstanding showing at Euro 2016.

Many supporters had felt that Hendrick would become the driving force in Ireland’s midfield and while it hasn’t exactly panned out like that just yet, Kilbane is optimistic about the Dubliner playing a major part in Mick McCarthy’s second reign.

“I was really impressed with Jeff,” Virgin Media Sport pundit Kilbane said of the 27-year-old’s performance last weekend.

“It was the best I’ve seen him in a long time, playing on the right of midfield, a different role than we’d be familiar with him playing.

“I hadn’t seen him as mobile. He looked in recent seasons like he’d bulked up too much, he’d spent too much time in the gym.

“He may correct me on that one but I’ve probably done the same in my career. If your form is not great, what are you doing to rectify it? ‘I’ll go in the gym and get fitter.’

“Maybe he wants to improve his game which is commendable but he’s got natural attributes as it is. He’s got the ability to be bombing forward, be a good box-to-box midfielder. He looked a bit leaner to me, now that was a naked eye from a commentary position.”

Much like he has been at Burnley, Hendrick was shifted across the midfield under Martin O’Neill and Kilbane insists that he will benefit if he can nail down one position.

“He got his big move off the back of that (Euros),” Kilbane continued.

“He hasn’t found a position at Burnley, I don’t think he’s played in his natural position where he would feel he wants to play. That’s been case with the international set-up too. I don’t think he’s had any consistency for a position.”

Kilbane also believes another in-form Irish midfielder Alan Browne, who scored his 11th goal of the season for Preston on Saturday, can reignite his international career under McCarthy.

“I think if you asked him two years ago could he play as a No 10 and score goals and get into double figures, he probably would have laughed at you,” Kilbane added.

“He would have said that’s not my natural position. But his finishing, his technique, everything, is improving year on year.

“He’s a player who might get to 27 or 28 and we’ll be looking at as a main guy or a leader in our side. That’s what he’s got the ability to do.”