It’s make or break for Ireland’s stars in the Championship
Aiden McGeady has a big season ahead but he’s not the only one...
SO who are the pick of the players to look out for in the Championship this season? There are a number of established Ireland internationals who need to be playing regularly in the division if they are going to make the Ireland squad next summer, providing we can gain qualification to the World Cup.
Players like John O’Shea, Darron Gibson and Aiden McGeady at Sunderland, Derby County’s Richard Keogh, David McGoldrick at Ipswich Town, Reading skipper Paul McShane and team-mate Stephen Quinn have all been regular squad members under Martin O’Neill.
We know what to expect from these players, but they need to play regularly, and consistently, if they are going to start in O’Neill’s thoughts over the next nine months.
But there are other players coming into this new Championship season who have not necessarily been on the radar who have an interesting few months ahead of them and who I have highlighted.
AIDEN McGEADY (Sunderland)
HAD a brilliant time with Preston last season; player of the year, created chances, scored goals and was back to the player we remember at the height of his powers with Celtic all those years ago.
The move to Sunderland has the potential to be perfect for him. It is a great club if you can get the fans behind you, and he has the right manager in Simon Grayson, who worked so well with him at Deepdale.
Grayson let him go and play, which is perfect for Aiden, and the new Sunderland manager was rewarded with consistently brilliant performances. Preston are going to miss him but I’m really excited for him and the opportunity he has at a club like Sunderland.
I have always been a huge fan because I know how quickly he can change a game and how desperate he is to do well for Ireland. On form he is a key member of Martin O’Neill’s squad and challenging for a starting place.
EUNAN O’KANE (Leeds United) SPENT most of last season on the bench, so his priority is to get a regular spot in the Leeds side. O’Kane (far right) has done well in the Ireland squad but he needs game-time. CONOR HOURIHANE (Aston Villa)
TOOK a different route to the Ireland squad by moving down to League Two after leaving Sunderland’s academy. Hourihane (below) played games and built his reputation at that level before joining Barnsley where he blossomed.
The Cork native got a deserved move to Villa Park in the January transfer window and in Steve Bruce he has an excellent manager aiming to challenge for promotion. Bruce will want to see Hourihane build on a steady start.
CYRUS CHRISTIE (MIddlesbrough)
HE got some criticism for saying that he felt, on his best form, he is the best full-back in the Championship. But he backs himself and, to his credit, has so far proved to be an excellent understudy to Seamus Coleman. He will need to maintain that standard for the rest of the campaign and his move to Middlesbrough is perfect. Garry Monk’s target is promotion and he can be a regular in a winning team.
CALLUM O’DOWDA (Bristol City)
HIS form in League Two with Oxford United earned him an international call-up and a move to Bristol City but he struggled to find the consistency required to become a regualr.
Bristol’s own form didn’t help him but he needs to get a place in the side, and rediscover that ability he showed at Oxford, as well as when he came off the bench against Moldova. He has developed technically and physically and is another player who needs to play regularly at a high standard.
ALAN JUDGE (Brentford)
JUST over two weeks after his Ireland debut in March 2016, the Dubliner suffered a broken leg which completely derailed his progress. A move to Newcastle United also collapsed as a result but now, after more than a year out of the game and with a whole pre-season behind him, Judge will be looking for a run without injury and playing consistently. It is a Brentford team which is likely to be fighting at the wrong end of the division but if he can get back to his best he is one O’Neill must keep an eye on.
RYAN MANNING (Queens Park Rangers)
FOOTBALL in a nutshell. The Galway lad couldn’t get a game under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and looked to be on his way out of QPR. Ian Holloway takes over, likes what he sees in an Under-23 game, puts him in the side, he does well, and has just earned his second new contract since arriving. This is just the beginning and he still has a big season ahead.
AIDEN O’BRIEN (Millwall)
I SAW the play-off final and he has great ability, he is a runner and his performance at Wembley capped an excellent season.
He looks ready to make the step-up to the Championship and he is another player whose chances of making an impression on O’Neill are in his own hands.
AND AT PRESTON…
Keep an eye on Andy Boyle and Daryl Horgan, who have their first pre-seasons under their belts at their new club and are looking to build on an incredible couple of years with Dundalk. They can go under the radar and play consistently and regularly. I keep repeating it but it is so important. If you are going to play for your country, you have to reach those levels and be on the team sheet when Martin O’Neill, Roy Keane, Steve Walford, Steve Guppy or Seamus McDonagh turn up. Sean Maguire has already made an impression in preseason and he has brought his form from Cork City straight into the side. He is a very exciting prospect. There’s also Greg Cunningham, Alan Browne, Eoin Doyle and Kevin O’Connor in the squad, so no reason why the whole of Ireland shouldn’t be behind Preston this season.