IRELAND WINGER ROBBIE Brady is excited by the prospect of getting back involved with the Ireland set-up and finally showing what he can really do.
The 22-year-old Hull winger, who is currently recovering from groin surgery, has earned six senior caps to-date since his goalscoring debut against Oman back in 2012 but believes he wasn’t given a fair crack of the whip under the previous regime.
“When I first came in, I was excited and it was all a massive thing,” said Brady. “It has taken awhile to get into the swing of things and I haven’t played as much as I would have liked to.
“That is the manager’s decision at the end of the day. I’m not angry about not playing, it has been brilliant to watch all the older senior players and getting my call-up. But I think I’ve been here long enough.
“I’m not ready to be sitting around anymore. I’m dying to get in and make an impact. Hopefully this time around I can play a bit more football and hopefully happy in my own game then.”
Although Brady has yet to experience playing for current managerial team Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane, he met the pair back in November and has been encouraged by a recent phone call from the new boss.
“I came over to see the physios and the doctor and to meet the manager and say ‘hello’, just show my face really,” he says.
“I watched training one of the days and we got on well. He (O’Neill) gave me a ring a few weeks ago to say it was disappointing about my injury and to keep my head up and if we needed anything they were just a phone call away.
It was good of him and I’m excited to be on the downhill of my injury and looking forward to getting fit.
“It’s great to get the phone call and I really appreciated it myself, keeping me in the loop sort of thing. You hate being out in the cold. When you’re injured it can feel that way but I’m excited and raring to go with the Irish set-up as well as my football with Hull.”
Now Brady plans to make his first team comeback with Hull in the final league game of the season (and a possible FA Cup final) before returning to the international fold ahead of this summer’s friendly matches.
And while O’Neill has spoken about the lack of talent coming through at underage, the Dubliner is relishing the thought of cementing his place alongside the latest crop of players.
“There is some very good young players coming through the underage and I think it’s just a matter of whoever steps up at that point when it comes to the time.
“I think we have some good players now, especially the likes of Seamus (Coleman) and James (McCarthy), they’re still very young and playing Premier League football for a better than top ten team at the minute. So it’s exciting.
We have some great players so hopefully we’ll get to knit together now and get going. We’ve got good youth now in the team at the minute.
“When I do get in, I’m looking to make some sort of big impression rather than just be the face that’s in and out all the time. I want to be a main face.”
Yesterday, Robbie Brady was in Dublin to announce details of the Doritos Penalty Shootout competition, where snack-loving teams of mates across Ireland and the UK are being given the extraordinary opportunity to compete for the chance to take a penalty against the Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart.
To enter, entrants need to be over 18 and register at Doritos.co.uk by 18th April, uploading a video of them and their mates showing off their top football skills and tricks on the pitch!
The competition will be supported by an on-pack promotion, where snack-lovers have the chance to try their luck against Hart in the comfort of their own home and win up-to £100 (or Euro equivalent) by scoring penalties in the Doritos Penalty Shootout online game at www.doritos.co.uk/shootout. Purchase necessary, 18+ only, T&Cs apply.
