Aaron Connolly boosted hopes of an Ireland recall on Saturday, as his late brace helped turn defeat into victory for Hull City.
Connolly started the EFL Championship clash away to Blackburn Rovers on the bench, but with the Tigers trailing 1-0 against 10 men, the forward was brought on in the hope of rescuing something.
He did just that and then some, by volleying in an equaliser on 81 minutes before scoring the winner with just two minutes left on the clock.
The cameo continued an impressive start to the season for the Galwegian, after he notched in a 4-2 victory at home to Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.
Aaron Connolly's Hull form boosts Ireland hopes
Connolly joined Hull on loan from Brighton for the second half of last season, when a record of two goals in five league appearances securing a one-year contract for the current campaign.
Judging by his start to the season, it seems like the 23-year-old has finally found a club at which he can settle, after disappointing loan spells to Middlesbrough and Venezia in recent years.
After Saturday's game, Hull manager Liam Rosenior was glowing in his praise for a player who he knows well from his days coaching at Brighton.
🇮🇪 𝐀𝐂𝟒𝟒#hcafc pic.twitter.com/n9yGIcsBBT
— Hull City (@HullCity) August 19, 2023
Liam Rosenior hails Aaron Connolly
"He needs to get fitter but I've worked with Aaron for years and I've got a really special relationship with him," Rosenior told BBC radio.
"He's got the potential to do that on a regular basis and that's why we worked so hard to bring him here. It's not just the finishes, it's the runs that he makes. It's his timing and his movement.
"He knocks on my door every single day. That's what I like. He's horrible. He's a horrible little one, the lads will tell you that, but I love him because he's himself.
"He moans about everything. He moans about having to go in the pool at the hotel when we're trying to recover, he moans about food, but you need different characters. I don't want a group of nice guys.
"I think of the team that I was fortunate enough to be promoted with here, Paul McShane, love him to bits, not the nicest fella in the world. We had some horrible ones in that group, David Meyler. You need different types."
𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃! 😍#hcafc pic.twitter.com/B3JrWtdFja
— Hull City (@HullCity) August 19, 2023
Stephen Kenny taking notes
Connolly hasn't played for the senior Ireland side since he started a forgettable 1-1 with Azerbaijan at the Aviva Stadium in April 2021, but Stephen Kenny is sure to be taking notice of the youngster's start to the season.
With a Euro 2024 qualifying double-header coming up against France and the Netherlands in September, Rosenior's may not be the only manager's door that Connolly is knocking on.
