Wes Hoolahan of Shelbourne has been voted the eircom/Soccer Writers Association Player of the Month for July. Hoolahan held off team-mate Alan Moore and Cork City's Danny Murphy to land the prestigious award. During the month, Hoolahan played in all three of Shelbourne's Champions League games, 2-2 and 0-0 draws against Icelandic side KR and a 3-2 defeat away to Hajduk Split.
In the eircom League, he played in the 1-1 draw with Shamrock Rovers, came on as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat to Derry City and, in the FAI Cup, he played and scored with a delightful chip in a 4-1 win over Finn Harps.
From the first time he played for Shels, Hoolahan has stood out as a special talent. On his debut in a friendly game against Wycombe Wanderers in August 2001, he terrorised the English side in a 2-0 win.
Hoolahan has been one of the stars of the domestic game. In his first season he collected a league medal and did so again last season. In 2002, he won the PFAI Young Player of the Year and was short-listed for the eircom/SWAI Personality of the Year. International recognition came by way of regular caps at Under-21 level.
In November 2002, he received a call-up to the senior squad and was named on the bench against Greece, although he did not play.
The 22-year-old has again caught the eye in Shels' remarkable Champions League win. His ability to keep the ball when surrounded by opponents and find team-mates with perfectly-weighted passes make him ideal for the European stage as, hopefully, Deportivo La Coruna will also discover.
Filed by Mark O'Neill-Cummins
