WHEN JEFF HENDRICK played in Wes Hoolahan to score against Poland, he weighted the pass with such precision that he could easily have been mistaken for an international veteran.
It was four minutes into his Ireland debut and the 21-year-old already looked at home in the green jersey.
A regular in Derby County’s push for promotion, chipping in with seven goals from midfield, Hendrick was rewarded with another call from Giovanni Trapattoni for Ireland’s four-game summer series and came off the bench against both England and Georgia last week to win his second and third caps.
Being involved is a dream come true and now that he has his foot in the door, he is determined to improve as much as he can.
“I’m just happy to get on the pitch really and be involved,” the Dubliner said after yesterday’s training session in Malahide. “It’s a bonus for me but I’m glad [Trapattoni] has shown a bit of faith and he’s brought me on in a few games.
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“As a kid it’s what you dream of, just being involved, getting to see them in training and learning a few things from them. It’s really good and it helps with my game.
“I’m trying to get as many minutes as possible and learn as many things as I can and improve my own game. I know when I get on the pitch I’ve got to keep the ball moving and not really lose it because in international football, if you lose the ball they do punish you.”
The rise of James McCarthy and Seamus Coleman has shown that it is possible for young players to force their way into Trap’s plans, though the Italian routinely describes his rising stars as “shy” and says that they need to increase their confidence on the pitch.
It’s not something that the manager has specifically addressed with Hendrick yet but he knows that he needs to find his voice on the international stage.
“At times I’m just giving the ball to people but I should do a bit more — maybe I’m a bit afraid of losing it.
“When I was younger I never used to really speak on the pitch but once I went to England, they wanted me to talk a lot more. You’ve got to, really, and I’m trying to get it into my game as much as possible.”
As Hendrick tries to stake his claim, Derby team-mates Richard Keogh and Conor Sammon are also on Trap’s radar. Keogh, 26, made his first start in the friendly against Georgia and marked it with the game’s opening goal while Shane Long’s suspension means that Sammon may well be the man chosen to partner Robbie Keane against the Faroe Islands on Friday night.
“[Richard] was delighted obviously. It was his first anniversary of getting married that day and it was a good way to get it with a goal and a start. I was happy for him, he’s a good lad and he had a good season so it was a reward for him.
“Conor will work hard for you all day long. You see it in games, he’s a very honest player. Hopefully he does start. He’s a pal of mine, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Hendrick ready to raise his voice and stake Ireland claim
WHEN JEFF HENDRICK played in Wes Hoolahan to score against Poland, he weighted the pass with such precision that he could easily have been mistaken for an international veteran.
It was four minutes into his Ireland debut and the 21-year-old already looked at home in the green jersey.
A regular in Derby County’s push for promotion, chipping in with seven goals from midfield, Hendrick was rewarded with another call from Giovanni Trapattoni for Ireland’s four-game summer series and came off the bench against both England and Georgia last week to win his second and third caps.
Being involved is a dream come true and now that he has his foot in the door, he is determined to improve as much as he can.
“I’m just happy to get on the pitch really and be involved,” the Dubliner said after yesterday’s training session in Malahide. “It’s a bonus for me but I’m glad [Trapattoni] has shown a bit of faith and he’s brought me on in a few games.
“As a kid it’s what you dream of, just being involved, getting to see them in training and learning a few things from them. It’s really good and it helps with my game.
(©INPHO/Donall Farmer)
“I’m trying to get as many minutes as possible and learn as many things as I can and improve my own game. I know when I get on the pitch I’ve got to keep the ball moving and not really lose it because in international football, if you lose the ball they do punish you.”
The rise of James McCarthy and Seamus Coleman has shown that it is possible for young players to force their way into Trap’s plans, though the Italian routinely describes his rising stars as “shy” and says that they need to increase their confidence on the pitch.
It’s not something that the manager has specifically addressed with Hendrick yet but he knows that he needs to find his voice on the international stage.
“At times I’m just giving the ball to people but I should do a bit more — maybe I’m a bit afraid of losing it.
“When I was younger I never used to really speak on the pitch but once I went to England, they wanted me to talk a lot more. You’ve got to, really, and I’m trying to get it into my game as much as possible.”
Hendrick, right, and Richard Keogh warm up ahead of the game against Poland (©INPHO/James Crombie)
As Hendrick tries to stake his claim, Derby team-mates Richard Keogh and Conor Sammon are also on Trap’s radar. Keogh, 26, made his first start in the friendly against Georgia and marked it with the game’s opening goal while Shane Long’s suspension means that Sammon may well be the man chosen to partner Robbie Keane against the Faroe Islands on Friday night.
“[Richard] was delighted obviously. It was his first anniversary of getting married that day and it was a good way to get it with a goal and a start. I was happy for him, he’s a good lad and he had a good season so it was a reward for him.
“Conor will work hard for you all day long. You see it in games, he’s a very honest player. Hopefully he does start. He’s a pal of mine, so we’ll see how it goes.”
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Conor Sammon COYBIG Derby county Giovanni Trapattoni Jeff Hendrick Richard Keogh Faroe Islands Ireland Republic