Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy looks unlikely to name any SSE Airtricity League of Ireland players in the first squad of his new reign, but he revealed that Cork City’s Daire O'Connor has already caught his eye.
McCarthy never selected a player from the domestic league during his first spell in charge of Ireland, but was in attendance at the season opener between St Patrick’s Athletic and Cork, while his assistants Terry Connor and Robbie Keane also attended league games.
The Ireland manager insists that he’s open to selecting any player he believes is good enough, but added that because the League of Ireland season has only just started, he’s unlikely to call up anyone from it for next month’s European qualifiers with Gibraltar and Georgia.
"If there are some League of Ireland players who are good enough, then I'm not ruling out anybody," McCarthy said. "Two games in, I haven't seen enough of them.
"I went to watch the first game, Pat's and Cork; TC was at one and Robbie was there the other night at Bohs and Rovers.
"We've got a game coming up where all the English league-based players have been playing since August. I think they're better prepared to be playing in any game come May, that's for sure."
McCarthy admitted that he was impressed by what he say of Cork O’Connor and added that St Patrick’s Athletic midfielder Jamie Lennon also made an impression on him.
"Daire O'Connor, he was the one player who stood out for me, he played very very well I thought.
"Whether it was on the right or on the left, he went and played in behind the striker. He was the one that stood out.
"Also, Jamie Lennon for Pat's I thought he had a good game. I liked him. Daire stood out because he's a forward and he was tricky and did a few really good things but Jamie just sat there and did a job so I was very impressed with him."
One player that McCarthy did pluck from the League of Ireland is full-back Matt Doherty, who he signed as Wolves manager from Bohemians.
Doherty has gone from strength to strength at Molineux and is in the running for the Premier League team of the year given his form and his former club manager is suitably impressed.
"He’s been fantastic playing for Wolves - playing as a wing-back, admittedly," McCarthy said.
"He’s been a real goal threat as well, scored goals. He’s had lots of chances. He’s playing in a good team, a vibrant Wolves team who play some really good football. He’s done very, very well. I mean, I signed him for Wolves for £100,000 from Bohs.
"The best that happened to him was Wolves getting relegated. He was in the team that got promoted and then promoted again. He’s a Premier League fixture now, and a good player."
McCarthy is looking forward to working with Doherty again but the Wolves man struggled to dislodge Seamus Coleman at right-back during the Martin O’Neill era and while he’s thrived in a more advanced role in the Premier League, the current Irish boss still views him as a full-back.
"I see him as a full-back. I also don’t dismiss it that if you’re playing in Copenhagen against Denmark team, you have to be a little bit more solid but still have that ability to play forward and toughen up a little bit.
"Who knows? I don’t rule out anything, except playing him in nets, maybe."
