Wes Hoolahan is a late bloomer. We've come to accept that, quit mourning the career he could have had and love him for the player that he is right now.
In France this summer, Hoolahan is likely to be the hub of all things creative from Martin O'Neill's side. He's easily our most technically gifted player, the man who will help us retain possession - something Irish sides have never been effective in doing.
We're pinning a lot of our hopes on the 33-year-old.
If we're going to forge goalscoring opportunities, Hoolahan will be involved.
It can't all come down to the Norwich midfielder though. That's a point which Ronnie Whelan has made in his Herald column.
Whelan believes that if Ireland are to be competitive, physicality will be required, something which Hoolahan does not possess.
The former Liverpool midfielder feels that while Hoolahan can have an influence, he should not be handed the reins of the team.
I don’t buy into the idea that Hoolahan is so good that O’Neill essentially hand him the ball and tell him to go and win games.
The truth is Hoolahan is not good enough to run a team. If he was, he would be running Norwich’s midfield and he only gets to do that sometimes. That has been the story of his career.
The narrative many write for Hoolahan is that he is a victim of the modern fashion for tall, athletic footballers and the fading interest in top clubs for local talent.
Hoolahan is a survivor of a difficult era for lads of small stature and he can do wonderful things when he has the space and opportunity but he’s not the future for Ireland and I believe, is a luxury which O’Neill will use carefully.
No one ever really believed that Hoolahan was the 'future' of Irish football. After all, he is 33. However, this summer, he could be the edge which we've been missing in big games previously.
Picture credit: Sportsfile
