Be more like Wes, a talent with the drive to match

If Westwood wants to be No 1, O’Neill says he must...

TALK has turned to the name Wes Hoolahan took for his Confirmation. ‘It’s Cantona,’ Ireland manager Martin O’Neill is informed. ‘You’re joking,’ he responds in a mild state of astonishment, as a few more tales from Hoolahan’s days in the League of Ireland are brought to his attention.

Like the one when he was travelling in a car with former Shelbourne teammates Richie Baker and Owen Heary and asked to pull in so he could collect some new contact lenses.

Only Hoolahan’s eyesight was that bad that he didn’t walk into the opticians, but rather the butcher’s, and had to be directed next door.

‘You’re not serious?’ O’Neill says, incredulously.

Or how Hoolahan, aged 18, had a family holiday abroad booked before he signed for Shels in 2001 and missed a Europa League (UEFA Cup in old money) qualifier with Danish giants Brondby.

Their manager at the time, Age Hareide, travelled to Dublin on a scouting mission just in time to see Hoolahan make his debut in a friendly versus Wycombe Wanderers and came away hailing the teenager as a gem of a player.

But Hoolahan didn’t change his plans.

‘He missed a European game and went on a family holiday? He didn’t tell me that! That’s a black mark against him!’ O’Neill thunders with mock disgust.

And then he makes a point about the playmaker who turned 35 yesterday and was voted Norwich City’s player of the season earlier this month.

‘Wes is incredibly popular at Norwich, you know? Incredibly popular. And he has a great enthusiasm,’ O’Neill, who has given the Dubliner 29 of his 37 caps, continues.

‘I don’t think anyone at Norwich realises he is 34 (O’Neill was speaking on Monday) years of age, because he looks 18.

‘We’ve used him in there [as a No.10] but if you’re going to that, first of all you have to look at the make-up of our team. I have to devise systems for the players. I’ve never in my life had a set system and then tried to put the players around it. I’ve looked at the players and then decided.’

Hoolahan has been sacrificed in certain fixtures by club and country but for Ireland during this World Cup campaign he has once again shown the contribution he can make in hostile environments away from home with assists away in Moldova and, crucially, in Vienna against Austria, who visit Dublin next month for the return date in Group D. ‘Players make systems happen but to accommodate the best out of Wes you have to have an incredible work rate around you and sometimes that doesn’t always work,’ O’Neill points out. ‘That’s the point. The players do work hard in the side and you’ve got Robbie Brady now who is an expert free kick taker.

‘He’s a bit more to his game than that but I do have to remind you that I’ve played him [Wes] more often than anyone and he’s appreciative of that.

‘Wes, he has lovely ability and at least here at home in terms of creating something he might be able to give you something. He’s had problems at club level with managers [not always picking him].

‘I don’t see him every single week but if consecutive managers think that, you have to give it some consideration as to why that is the case. If he never played another game for me now he’s done brilliantly for us. Brilliantly.’

There can be no denying Hoolahan’s days are coming to an end, even though he continues to shine during the twilight of a career which finally saw international recognition come his way.

At the other end of the park, it’s a different story altogether why Keiren Westwood – 33 in October – has just 20 caps and one less appearance in the Premier League from his time at Sunderland when O’Neill was his boss.

‘Keiren is Keiren. I’ve known him for some time and personally, as talent goes, he has enough to play in the Premier League. No question about that. I want him to have the enthusiasm and ambition to do so. But that’s up to him,’ O’Neill says.

Westwood was brought to Euro 2012 by Giovanni Trapattoni as back-up for Shay Given and while he started the following World Cup qualifying campaign as No.1 following the Donegal native’s retirement, David Forde soon overtook in the pecking order.

O’Neill sought to entice Given back when he took charge but when injuries took hold it was Darren Randolph who stepped up to the plate during that famous 1-0 win over Germany in late 2015.

He hasn’t looked back since. Westwood cannot say the same and when asked as to whether he has the ambition and enthusiasm to be Ireland’s No 1, O’Neill borders on reticence.

‘I hope so. I like Keiren but he’s in a wee world of his own. For natural talent, Westwood is a top-class goalkeeper. A real natural talent. Like anything else, to go to the very, very top, you need not to just have natural talent, but also drive, determination and everything else.

‘Honestly, his kicking... he pings the ball all over the pitch. He can place 50-yard balls to people. He’s AGELESS: a really fine goalkeeper and he’s actually a really good lad. He needs, he needs moving. Maybe it has taken Keiren a bit of time to realise that. I think Westy would now have the maturity to go and take it in his stride.’

The Sheffield Wednesday stopper suffered heartache in the Championship play-off semi-finals against Huddersfield Town in midweek so if he is to return to the top flight a club will have to come calling for him.

Not that this is being labelled last chance saloon for a 33-year-old who has also been troubled by injuries.

‘If he made it [to the Premier League], I think he’d be ready for it, really ready for it and any challenge that came along because he’s highly thought of at Sheffield Wednesday and why not?’ adds O’Neill. ‘He’s done really well over the last couple of years there so he can rely on himself to do it.’

Problem is, Westwood, unlike Hoolahan, whose ambition matches his talent, is yet to be reliable for his country.