Galway's Ryan Manning has been earning rave reviews for his performances since being thrust into the QPR first-team ever since the new year.
He will undoubtedly be in Martin O'Neill's plans going forward having shown his creativity and ability to get on the scoresheet, but his focus is very much on making a space in QPR's midfield his own first.
Speaking to Off The Ball on Wednesday night, Manning came across really well and explained how he caught Ian Holloway's eye after a frustrating lack of opportunities under previous managers.
When Jimmy-Floyd [Hasselbaink] came in, nothing changed for me, I was a bit like 'what's going on here?', but when Holloway came in, there was a change in the club really.
He kind of said, if the players don't want to play for me, they're not going to play for me. And I was desperate to play, I wanted to play for him.
I think I'd played a 23's match and he came down and took the game and I think, from what a couple have people had said to me, I flew into a couple of challenges and was getting up and down the pitch, and supposedly he saw that I wanted to play and that's what he saw in me. Then, fitness-wise, he thought I could bring legs to the midfield.
There are things that Ian Holloway in particular looks for, like his players to get up and down the pitch and put in challenges, and luckily enough he saw that I was able to do that and he took a gamble on me.
Manning then admitted that while it never reached the point where he had to knock on the manager's door and ask for a word, he would have done it he had continued to be overlooked. But thankfully Holloway saw what he saw, and Manning hasn't been out of the team since.
And QPR have gone unbeaten in the four games that Manning has played in. The entire team look a direct contrast to the team that saw Hasselbaink sold, as the qualities that the new manager has sought out appear to have done the trick.
But Manning is much more than just a workhorse, or someone who 'flies into challenges'. His delicious assist for Jamie Mackie saw a lot of attention thrown Manning's way, and yes, he meant it.
Definitely meant it.
I got a lot of tweets saying 'was it a pass or a shot?' but it was definitely a pass to the back stick for Jamie. If it came on my left foot I would have shot all day long, but the righty wasn't the best weapon to have there.
While Manning admitted that getting into the Ireland squad it something every Irish player wants to do, he was adamant that he must solidify his place in the QPR team first and hopefully the call will come from there.
He certainly appears to have a sensible head on his shoulders, and it's not just the seriously impressive 555 points that he got on the leaving cert that show that.
You can listen to Manning's interview with Off The Ball below:
