DURING THE FINAL months of his reign Giovanni Trapattoni loved fielding questions about James McCarthy. He didn’t need much of an opening to point out the youngster’s need for greater confidence, greater ‘personality’.
Maybe it wasn’t as dramatic a transformation as Trap would have liked but McCarthy has grown into his role in the heart of the Irish midfield.
Now he has the ideal man to learn from.
The night that Roy Maurice Keane put in arguably the most iconic performance of his career — 21 April 1999 — McCarthy was eight-years-old.
“I’ve seen videos and clips and you can see what a dominant midfielder he was. Hopefully I can pick as many tips up off him as I can along the way.
Already he’s given me a few — do this, do that — but it’s brilliant to be learning from a footballing great.
Such is the excitement at Keane’s return that his name is popping in every conversation about Irish football this week.
But as McCarthy reminds us there’s only so much that one man, even Roy Maurice Keane, can do in two days.
“Obviously he’s had a few chats here and there. He wants you to get on the ball, make tackles, make passes.
It’s a massive learning curve for myself to learn from such a footballing hero. Hopefully long may it continue.
That guidance and mentoring is coming at a vital time in McCarthy’s development. Now 23, he is an established international now and a Premier League regular at Roberto Martinez’s Everton.
“We’ve had a good start and we have to keep as high as we can,” he says of the good club form.
“Obviously competing against teams there and trying for European places, it’s not easy.
“It’s a big difference, no disrespect to Wigan. We’ll take it a game at a time. We’re not long into the season.”
“I feel myself improving week in and week out,” he adds.
“You want to see yourself improving week in, week out. You want to get better. Hopefully I can.”
