Arter determined to prove worth to Ireland
Harry Arter is determined to prove he deserves the right to pull on a Republic of Ireland shirt as he targets a World Cup qualifier start in Georgia on Saturday.
The 27-year-old Bournemouth midfielder won just his sixth senior cap in June’s draw with Austria in Dublin, two years after making his international debut.
Arter, who was born in England and has more than once found himself at the centre of speculation that he could change allegiance despite declaring for Ireland, has admitted he could understand if an Irish-born player of the same ability resented his presence in the team, but is doing is best to ensure that is not an issue.
He said: “In an ideal world, a young lad grows up in Ireland, he comes through the ranks, through the Irish teams and plays for a local side and best case scenario, they move on to England or abroad and they do well and they get into the Irish senior side.
“If that was the case and there was an English-born player who had the same ability as him and the English player was picked ahead, I would see that as a little bit unfair.
“One thing I would say, though, is that I think as a country and as a management, they have got it spot on in the sense that they pick players in the end purely based on ability and if it is and English-born player that deserves to play, they play him.”
Republic boss Martin O’Neill – the former Sunderland manager – has turned to Arter for both games against the Austrians in the current campaign, a 1-0 win in Vienna and a 1-1 draw at the Aviva Stadium, and could do once again with James McCarthy and Jeff Hendrick both missing for the Group D clash with Georgia in Tbilisi.
If that proves to be the case, he is ready to answer the call on a night when his ongoing education in international football will be a secondary consideration.
Arter said: “I’ve got a job to do for the team and where we are in the group now, it’s not a time for anyone to be learning.”
Ireland will fly out for Georgia today sitting level with group leaders Serbia but knowing there is little margin for error despite boasting a perfect record against the Georgians, who they have beaten on each of the eight occasions the two sides have met.
However, it has rarely been straightforward and Arter is well aware of the threat Vladimir Weiss’s men will pose on their own pitch.
He said: “I’ve seen Georgia play a few times and I don’t think they’ve got the results they probably deserved. They’re technically very good and it baffles me a little bit how they haven’t got more points and been a little bit more successful.”
Meanwhile, Burnley strikerJonathanWalterswas able to complete the warmup with his team-mates yesterday as he continued his recovery from an ankle injury, although he did not train fully once again.