IRELAND MAY HAVE the oldest squad at Euro 2016, but in Jeff Hendrick, they possess at least one player good enough and young enough to wear the green jersey for many years to come.
Whereas the likes of Jon Walters, Shane Long and Wes Hoolahan have grabbed the majority of the headlines for the Boys in Green’s success in recent months, Hendrick has quietly gone about establishing himself as a first-team regular for the side.
Along with former St Kevin’s Boys teammate Robbie Brady, Hendrick was the youngest member of Ireland’s team yesterday, but it didn’t show, as the Dubliner was arguably the standout Irish player on the field.
Up until this point, the midfielder has been decent but hardly spectacular in a green jersey — he showed evidence of his potential in the home Euro 2016 qualifier with Georgia, setting up Jon Walters’ winner with a brilliant solo run.
But if there’s a complaint about Hendrick, it’s that he tends to fade in and out of games all too often, producing one or two eye-catching moments coupled with periods of anonymity.
Yesterday, however, he arguably gave his most consistent display yet out of the 22 times he has appeared for his country.
Hendrick invariably was sensible in possession and played with a level of authority, physicality and endeavour that suggests he is growing more comfortable with international football.
He also nearly gave Ireland the lead, as his beautifully struck shot from distance came off the crossbar, much to the Swedes’ relief. If there was one other criticism of Hendrick, it’s that he doesn’t score enough — in 44 appearances in all competitions this season, he has managed just two goals, however if the player continues to demonstrate such impressive technique as that which was evident on Monday, expect him to open his international account sooner rather than later.
And all this happened despite worries over Hendrick’s fitness, with rumours circulating before kick-off that he was set to be dropped from Ireland’s starting XI.
He had played just once for Derby since March — the second leg of the Championship play-off semi-final against Hull — and his performance over 90 minutes in the dismal loss to Belarus at Turner’s Cross last month did little to alleviate concerns that he was short of the necessary match fitness required to compete at the highest level.
And while he admittedly tired towards the end of yesterday’s tense draw, the Derby star did more than enough over 90 minutes to show that such worries about his viability as a starter were misguided.
https://vine.co/v/iLp73wUwVAJ
The encouraging display will be a big morale boost for the 24-year-old, who was again left disappointed at club level last month, as Derby failed to gain promotion to the Premier League, losing out via the play-offs for the second time in the last three seasons.
Partially due to injuries, Hendrick appeared in just 33 of the Rams’ 48 Championship matches (including the playoffs). Moreover, of those 33 appearances, more than a couple were from the bench — indeed, he completed 90 minutes on just 14 occasions in total in the league this season.
So it’s fair to say Hendrick has had an indifferent, stop-start campaign for his club, making yesterday’s accomplished performance all the more remarkable.
The Dubliner has always been a player of huge promise — after breaking into the Derby first team as a teenager, he was attracting Premier League interest as far back as 2011. He has also been linked with a move to Aston Villa and Newcastle more recently, and at 24, the midfielder is at a crucial phase of his development.
Hendrick will know he needs to be playing Premier League football sooner rather than later. Ex-Ireland international Kevin Kilbane and others have repeatedly stated that he has the ability to play in the top flight.
And Hendrick is undoubtedly brimming with potential, but even highly talented players don’t necessarily enjoy a sustained career in the Premier League – just ask Wes Hoolahan.
Hendrick needs to make sure he maximises his potential in the coming years, for Ireland’s sake and his own, rather than getting lost in lower-league obscurity like so many promising young Irish midfielders before him.
Yesterday’s performance, during which he looked at home in major tournament football, can be something to build on — a catalyst for greater times to come.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
Kilkenny football any thoughts people? I used to feel they should enter in these competitions give them experience but with that result not worth it. What goes on in their team preparations because Gaelic football ain’t that technical. I mean do they play football at all down there??
Football is a joke here! Pick lads up on the side of the road and throw em a jersey. Shouldn’t be that hard to bring an extra man or 2 back into defence and not concede the likes of 7-30.
You are laughed at if u say u play football for kilkenny so the decent ones don’t bother turning up.
Then why bother with it surely young lads would jump at a chance to pull on the Kilkenny jersey.
& the same Kilkenny people who mock football & do nothing to promote it will whinge & complain that other counties aren’t promoting hurling.
Fair play to the small counties like Waterford, Wexford, Clare, Laois & Offaly who put resources into both games.
Nope big difference in pulling on a hurling jersey and a football one. I know lads on the football team who just go for the free gear they get and trips away, can’t even make their club team.
Very unfair and downright rude comment.To say that we don’t put resources into our football is pure tripe considering we send our football team out to Britian each year to play in the Britiah junior championship because of the huge beatings they get at home which makes the team at least try because they believe they can win.Aswell as that…..no matter what people do Kilkenny will never be that interested in football,always was an out and out hurling county and always will be,it runs in the blood(no bragging intended but just look at the history and look at the history of our football….enough said).The interest for football in KK is just isn’t there but they keep on competing and getting trashed.I have lived in Kilkenny for 24yrs but not anymore but in my time living there I have never EVER heard people giving out about the promotion of football and to make sure that county boards spend fairly on their sports the GAA accesses all county accounts at the end of every year.But to be honest I’m not suprised by your comments as I have seen other ones of yours about Kilkenny.I myself have proudly played for Kilkenny in both Camogie and Gaelic Football.We are so bad we shouldn’t be even playing it but we do it because it is part if the ethos of an organisation that we all so dearly love.Do not speak tripe about a county that you do not know any facts on,just clueless accusations!
I agree with some of what your saying but come on, 49 points! That’s just disgraceful and down right embarrassing, clearly their is a need for greater funding which could go to better coaching etc…
That result is a disgrace and a stain on Kilkenny GAA!
Ok you asked for it with a comment like that. I’d rather be from a county that’s successful in one code than be from a county that’s shite in both!
I asked for it? By stating that sending out chaps to receive such an awful beating is disgraceful? Kids sent out to be humiliated?
You reckon the best thing to do is castigate my county? They’d never lose to Offaly in either code by that margin! Kilkenny are only half a GAA county and I reiterate my point this kind of carry on is a stain on Kilkenny GAA. Do the decent thing and withdraw from the competition.
Finally, I’d rather be…. what a stupid comment? Imagine preferring to be from another county although I suspect you’ve engendered that feeling before?
Ah Rory, Waterford ain’t shite at hurling but they’re not far off it judging by their performance in Nowlan Park a month ago!
*That was for Andrew, not Rory
Waterford Wexford and Clare have a far bigger population than KK. KK have a population in total of 87,000 people. Pound for Pound the most sucessful county on all ireland titles and yes they have provicial titles in the big ball as well not like some other Leinster counties.
The way Offaly hurling is going, they will soon be as big a laughing stock as Kilkenny football! Can’t even organise a training session with all the in house fighting and the gates been locked in Tullamore. Get it right in yere own county first before u starting mouthing about another one.
There is no point in bringing in better coaches when there is just no interest
Kilkenny treat Gaelic football with the contempt it deserves.
We’re very lucky in this country to have 2 fantastic sports that we can call our own. I pity anyone who is too blind to appreciate them both.
Offaly showed serious All-Ireland form today.
I would love to see hurling separated into a different association and just promoted by hurling people. Let’s face it the only similarities is that they share the same pitch and have the same scoring methods. Football is just one of many ‘football’ games played around, this one to Irish rules. While hurling is a truly unique sport that we can be proud of.
This hurling v football crap has to end. The two sports fall under the umbrella of the GAA and that’s where the similarity ends. It’s like comparing soccer with rugby!
Kilkenny don’t treat Gaelic with contempt, the County Board also doesn’t spare on funding or trying to promote football so let’s be clear on that. Issue is clubs just don’t support football and the won’t encourage players to play football. If minors can’t make hurling panel their not interested in playing football..It’s very unfair to say on here that the result was disgraceful, it’s disrespectful and bloody rude to players who actually bothered their backside to go and play football in the first place. Let’s be honest hurling is number one game in Kilkenny and nothing will change that…