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Selection gaffes leave Ireland on cusp of missing yet another World Cup

Charles McQuillan / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The nascent technical, imaginative gifts of Wes Hoolahan were obvious in his early years, but his progression was slow. A childhood spent obsessively dribbling a ball around streets just south of Dublin's Croke Park and the capital's pitches alerted Sunderland, Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Millwall, but no contract was forthcoming. Even at Irish top-tier Shelbourne - where he was finally recognised in his late teens - he was bundled onto the flank when he made the first team.

It was a common theme for around half of Hoolahan's club career as he was mistrusted for lacking the brawn that had become a requisite for a country that had bred midfielders like Johnny Giles and Roy Keane. Unfortunately, that mindset permeated in the national-team fold.

By the time Hoolahan enjoyed his first start for his country, in a rather innocuous friendly with Georgia, he was 31 years old. The Norwich City idol will be 36 by the time next summer's World Cup in Russia kicks off, and if he's not there - the daunting two-legged play-off with Denmark begins on Saturday - he will headline a wasted generation for the Irish.

That summer will mark the 16th anniversary of the last time Ireland appeared in the tournament - the 2002 edition in Japan and South Korea. That competition was followed by a hangover that saw Ireland limp out of qualification bids for three World Cups - the play-off for the 2010 installment featuring Thierry Henry's infamous handball - two European Championships, and endure a humiliating nil points in the group stages of Euro 2012. Martin O'Neill took over a year after the latter ignominy, but it's his selection policy since that has led Ireland into a scenario where talented players are facing the likelihood of never having played at a World Cup.

Puzzling selections

Regular injuries to James McCarthy denied Ireland the services of a talented midfielder. If James McClean didn't have such a maturity deficiency, he could've developed into a decent player. There were also issues with players' club statuses that hindered O'Neill's plans at camp. But primarily, his designs on the 2014 World Cup were hampered by him overlooking what should've forged the core of his squad.

Left-back Stephen Ward, prospering under Sean Dyche at Burnley this season, was loaned to Brighton & Hove Albion in 2013, filling a vacancy left by Wayne Bridge's departure to Reading. Ward, who went on to have a successful term with the Seagulls, was then dropped by O'Neill after playing every minute of the first two qualifiers and replaced by Marc Wilson. Wilson is now on the scrapheap known as Sunderland.

Daryl Murphy didn't feature in the qualification bid at all, but was afforded brief substitute appearances in friendlies against Serbia and Turkey during the 2013-14 season. Like Hoolahan, he was a slow-burner but at the time was showing his professionalism and consistency at Ipswich Town. Collectively, Simon Cox and Conor Sammon scored three fewer Championship goals than Murphy that term, but were picked above him. Now, with added hindsight, Cox and Sammon's lacking ability has been laid bare in lagging careers while Murphy was awarded Championship top scorer in 2014-15, was a league winner with Newcastle United in 2016-17, and is currently proving an influential figure at an improving Nottingham Forest.

There have been numerous questionable call-ups elsewhere - defenders Darren O'Dea and Sean St. Ledger stand out - but it's the centre of midfield that's been lacking flourish. Or, more specifically, lacking Wes Hoolahan.

Mistrust

Keith Andrews, who had the look of a former Britpop bassist who'd cleaned up his act, was an early hurdle for Hoolahan's international credentials. When the outspoken Andrews called for Hoolahan's inclusion in the starting XI for June's meeting with Austria, it was somewhat ironic given it came from the man who proved such a debilitating obstacle to Hoolahan's Ireland career and, as consequence, the team's productivity and watchability.

There were other inferior players picked ahead of Hoolahan. Darron Gibson, a midfielder whose sole quality is to shoot from distance, was fielded in a side which discouraged such wasteful use of the ball. Paul Green, a Yorkshireman who qualified for Ireland through his maternal grandfather hailing from County Mayo, was a fit and hard-working midfielder, but a limited one.

Just like his beginnings at Shelbourne, and why it took him until the age of 29 to play in the Premier League, Hoolahan was mistrusted due to outdated views. He's impeded by a "luxury" tag, when he's the kind of footballer that should be coveted and have a team assembled around him. He became a regular in the lineup far too late, and is rarely afforded the midfield foundation that allowed him to exert his influence on the international stage.

Just like Matt Le Tissier for England, Hoolahan is another casualty of the British Isles' primitive preferences of hard-tackling and endeavour over thoughfulness and technical prowess. The underappreciation of Hoolahan, and the poor selection choices from O'Neill, are at risk of banishing this ageing generation into the annals of Irish national team disappointments.

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