FOR SOMEONE WHO tends to be happiest with a ball at his feet, the past year must have been the toughest of Wes Hoolahan’s career.
A central figure for Norwich City during back-to-back promotions from League One and two consecutive mid-table finishes in the Premier League, the Dubliner suddenly found his place in the starting line-up under threat last season.
Manager Chris Hughton spent €25million that summer on the likes of Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Gary Hooper, Nathan Redmond and Leroy Fer and would have to make room for his new acquisitions.
By Christmas, Hoolahan had started just three league games for the Canaries as he was more often than not resigned to the bench and when the January transfer window opened, Paul Lambert expressed an interested to bring the creative midfielder to Aston Villa.
The chance to work under his old boss was too good to turn down and Hoolahan handed in a transfer request — which was rejected by the club. He continued to be overlooked for the opening months of 2014 before Hughton was sacked in April and youth team coach Neil Adams was handed the task of keeping them up.
They failed to beat the drop, however, finishing three points off safety in 18th place.
“Through my whole career, I’ve always played games and have been a part of the team,” Hoolahan told TheScore this week. “Last year I didn’t feel a part of the team whatsoever. I was left out of a few squads and not involved so it was hard to take.”
Hoolahan looked set to leave the club he joined from Blackpool back in 2008 during the summer but instead signed a new two-year deal when assurances were made by Adams.
11 league games into the current campaign and Norwich sit top of the Championship with Hoolahan coming in for praise from his manager after starting every one so far.
“This year is completely different,” he says. “I wasn’t playing (last year) and when I did we were chasing around as we didn’t have much of the ball. This year it’s great because we have a lot of the ball and we’re the main team in the league.
Neil has done great since he’s been here. He has pushed the team forward and played attractive football. We’ve done really well under him and it is nice to hear that from the manager because you go out there and do the best for the team.”
Recent matches have seen the 32-year-old deployed on the left wing in a 4-4-2. It may not be his natural number 10 role but playing wide is a position he feels just as comfortable in.
“As long as I’m playing, it doesn’t matter. We’re knocking the ball around well and creating a lot chances.
“It’s a more defensive role there as you’re getting up and down to help out the left back and keeping the midfield shape as a four. I played there for Shelbourne and Blackpool. It’s nice playing in the hole but it’s all the same really as you can come inside.”
On the international stage, latecomer Hoolahan appeared to be making up for lost time over the past 12 months — named in the starting XI for six of Martin O’Neill’s first eight games in charge.
It came as a surprise to some then when a midfield trio of Glenn Whelan, James McCarthy and Stephen Quinn was picked for the Euro 2016 qualifying opener away to Georgia last month.
“I had been playing regularly so not playing was disappointing for me but I was happy that we won and the lads played great,” says Hoolahan.
“If you don’t play you’re going to be disappointed, that’s the way it is. I was just delighted to get the three points because that was more important.”
This weekend brings another opportunity to add to his 15 senior caps. This evening’s meeting with new boys Gibraltar at the Aviva Stadium, on paper at least, shouldn’t cause Ireland any major issues but competitive fixtures against the group minnows haven’t always gone as smoothly as expected.
“It is probably going to be one of those games where they just park the bus and stick most of their players behind the ball,” predicts Hoolahan. “So it is going to be difficult for us to break them down.
“We’ll be going in there hoping to play some good stuff and attacking them straight away. Hopefully we can get an early goal which would settle everything and help us play better.”
The former Shelbourne schemer has been the most creative outlet whenever he has donned the green jersey and he will be expected to pull the strings if he gets the nod later today.
On his role, he adds: ”If I’m playing in the hole I know I have to get in positions where I can receive the ball on the turn and bring other players into the game. Sometimes it is harder when teams come and put five men in midfield.
Wherever I’m playing on the pitch I look for pockets where I can find space.”
But does he prefer slotting in behind captain Robbie Keane or the more mobile Shane Long?
“You adapt your game to whoever plays. Robbie likes to come short into feet, Shane likes it over the top or in behind defenders because he uses pace. Both of them have great attributes so it doesn’t really matter.”
Road to France
Ireland then travel to Gelsenkirchen to take on Germany on Tuesday and Hoolahan has spoken to club mate Russell Martin about how to stop the world champions after Scotland’s narrow 2-1 defeat in September.
“Scotland went over there and looked like they had a great chance of getting a point or every a win. Speaking to Russell, he was saying they were disappointed to lose the game because they played so well.
“If we go there positively and have a gameplan, keep them quiet for a certain amount of time and hopefully you get a bit more confidence as the crowd start to get on their back.”
Hoolahan, who will be 34 when the Euro 2016 finals come around, is never one to look too far into the future but remains passionate about playing and would love nothing more than to represent his country at a major tournament in France.
“I love it everytime I go out there and I try not to miss any Ireland training sessions. I think that’s the most important thing.
“If you don’t enjoy coming to work, you’re not going to be 100% out there. At the moment I enjoy it and that doesn’t change whether I’m getting paid buttons or millions.
“Getting to a major championships with my country would be great. Our aim is to qualify.”
With thanks to Three, primary sponsor of the Irish football team
