If you're an Irish international in need of a club around Championship level, there's a good chance that Mick McCarthy is the man you need to talk to. Having brought the likes of Stephen Hunt, Noel Hunt and Jonathan Douglas to Ipswich in recent years, McCarthy has been able to get the best out of players who many would have suggested were ready to take a step down the football ladder.
Everyone's favourite crooner has been working miracles with Ipswich in recent years on a budget that is more in line with a club starring down the barrel of the relegation gun. McCarthy has turned the club into play-off contenders and a lot of that can be put down to some very clever transfer business. He has next to no budget to work with but when he needs to plug a gap in his squads, he knows exactly where to look. Case in point, Kevin Foley.
The 31 year old is without a club having left Copenhagen in the summer. He's been on trial at a number of clubs and, having worked with McCarthy at Wolves, the time has come for the Ipswich boss to see if he can still cut it in the Championship.
Ipswich are in need of defensive reinforcement and Foley was given the chance to prove his worth during an u21 game against Charlton yesterday. The 31 year old played a full 90 minutes in the 2-2 draw and judging by McCarthy's words before that game, he's obviously hopeful that Foley can do enough to earn a contract.
He’s a great bloke, he’d fit in fabulously with the lads, if he’s alright, if he’s fully fit, but he looks it. He’s trained with us and he looks the part at the moment, so hopefully he’ll get through the game today.
He was out playing in Denmark, he hurt his shoulder and he had to have an operation in the summer. That doesn’t bother me too much. If it was his legs it might be bothering me, but it was his shoulder.
He’s a gentleman, he’s a lovely fella, he’d fit in perfectly with the rest of the lads. I hope he proves that he’s worth it.
Meanwhile, another of McCarthy's former charges, Stephen Hunt, is set to make his debut with League 1 promotion challengers Coventry City tonight. Hunt joined Joe Cole is signing a permanent deal with Coventry last week and Tony Mowbray is obviously hoping that a bit of Premier League experience will be a positive for a club that has been on the slide in recent years.
See also: Here's Who Robbie Keane And Martin O'Neill Voted For In The Ballon D'Or
And while we're at it, here's Mick McCarthy singing with Linda Martin.
[EADT]
