Derry lost 3-1 to Dundalk on Friday night. After the game, Derry manager Kenny Shiels was asked about Dundalk winger Daryl Horgan and the possibility of him playing for Ireland.
Martin O'Neill named his 33-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Georgia on Friday morning. The Ireland manager said Horgan was not included due to Dundalk's congested fixture list.
Shiels believes Horgan is good enough to play for Ireland and that a move to England is probably in his future also.
Kenny Shiels Republic Of Ireland Comments
International football is an aspect of the game which holds little interest for Shiels. Quoted by the Irish Independent, Shiels expressed a belief that only tenuous links are required to play football for Ireland.
International football’s not what it used to be. There’s no pride in it anymore because you could have a pint of Guinness and play for Ireland.
There are Italians and Scottish people playing for Ireland
Shiels called those players born in England who choose to play for Ireland as being 'England reserves' while their counterparts who play for Northern Ireland are another step below.
International football doesn’t interest me one bit, not one bit. When you look at the people who can go and play. The Republic of Ireland are England reserves and Northern Ireland are England’s reserves’ reserves. It’s diabolical. I’ve no time for it all.
11 of the 33-man Ireland squad for the games against Moldova and Georgia were born outside of Ireland.
What Shiels' opinion ignores is that many of those born outside of Ireland who choose to pull on the green shirt do so for valid and heartfelt reasons. Jonathan Walters, for example, wanted to play for Ireland to honour his Dublin-born mother who died when he was just 11. Many others do so as they come from families who have emigrated but still identify themselves as being Irish.
Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
