Bosun Lawal has urged his international team-mates to dream big as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign.
Ireland kick off their six-match group phase on Saturday against Hungary before travelling to Armenia for the second game of the September international window.
Four more games will follow quickly in October, where Ireland will face group favourites, Portugal, and November, with the table toppers gaining automatic qualification for next summer's World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the USA.
Lawal is a relative newcomer into Heimir Hallgrimsson’s squad, having impressed at Stoke City this season, where he is playing in both defence and midfield, although he has been on the manager’s radar for quite some time.
The Dubliner came through the youth ranks of St Kevin’s and Bohemians before moving to Watford and then on to Celtic, however, it was at Fleetwood Town, on loan from the Parkhead club, where he would enjoy his breakthrough season.
The then 20-year-old Lawal played 42 times in League One under former Celtic midfielder Scott Brown throughout the 2023-24 season, before making a move to the Championship to sign for Stoke that summer.
This season, Lawal has played all four league games for The Potters, who sit in third place, and while he has been named in the Ireland squad as a defender, he is just as comfortable in midfield and played two League Cup games this season in a more advanced role.
"He's great," said Lawal, when speaking about his relationship with manager Hallgrimsson. "Straightaway he made me feel welcome, and told me what he was looking for in me. Told me the qualities I have, the stuff I need to improve, which always makes a good manager. He's top with the young lads and everyone around him.
"There are a couple of positions where he said he wants me to play, but it doesn't really bother me where I play, I have played in most positions in my life, I think I can take different elements from different positions, I am prospering."
"As a centre-half, I think I’m someone that likes to play a lot," he added, when asked what type of player he is.
"I like to win all my duels, early, on the ground. I like to cover in behind. As a centre midfielder, I'm physical, I can get around. Very good carrying the ball, and I've got some goals in me as well."
And now Lawal has put himself in the frame for some World Cup qualifying action over the next seven days, and he is relishing the prospect of donning the green jersey, having represented his country at every level from Under-15 up to the U21s.
"It's a big honour, to be playing for my national team," said Lawal, speaking at Tuesday’s press conference. "I have been through all the age groups and I don't take it lightly.
"I don't think there's anything that's too big, anything is possible, we just have to go out there and give it our all," he replied, when asked could Ireland dare to dream of World Cup qualification.
"It's a very good group of lads and a mixtures of experienced and young players, quality players, and everyone is really on board to give it our all and get to the World Cup."
While things are going well this season, Lawal faced a very different challenge throughout the previous campaign and only managed seven league appearances throughout.
Carrying what was considered a minor injury while signing for Stoke, Lawal missed the majority of the season, however, he finished the campaign in the starting XI and has hit the ground running since the summer.
"I feel fully fine, I had a good pre-season, playing games and training every day, I feel like myself now," said Lawal, who was full of praise for his club for the care and patience that they showed him throughout his recovery.
"Considering the fact they signed me knowing I had an injury, it shows they have a lot of faith in me, and they do trust in me as a player."
Lawal admitted that he found it frustrating at times while watching from afar, however, his faith is strong and thanks to the support of family and friends, he began to see a positive outlook.
"It was very tough. Obviously when I first went, I thought it would be a month, but the recovery was slower than it should have been.
"That made it very difficult, having the scans and seeing that there was no recovery, that it wasn’t healing and having to wait again and again but eventually it just healed.
"Then having to break into the team was very hard because we had a lot of different managers, different playing styles and it was just me getting my fitness back that was very difficult.
"It was hard to motivate myself but thankfully I did and I got in.
"Family around me, friends, they kept me going, team-mates, coaches, they just showed me there is light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
"I'm pretty big on my religion, and I had faith in God and he brought me back to where I needed to be."
Lawal joins former Corduff schoolboy clubmate Killian Philips in the squad for the upcoming games, and he said that the duo enjoyed a moment following the announcement.
"We actually spoke to each other and he sent me a picture of me and him at Corduff, and we were like 'look how far we’ve come.’"
Watch Republic of Ireland v Hungary in World Cup qualifying on Saturday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to live radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
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