Kevin Kilbane: James McCarthy must put Ireland first despite club dutiesFriday, February 13, 2015
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By John Fallon
In a decorated international career, Kevin Kilbane defied some of his club physiotherapists to bolster the Irish cause, and he feels James McCarthy may have to do likewise next month.
Relations between Irish managerial duo of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane with Everton have become strained over the availability, or lack of, McCarthy and Toffees clubmate Seamus Coleman during the Euro 2016 qualification campaign. That public spat aside, as well as McCarthy’s niggling hamstring issues, 110-cap legend Kilbane believes the onus is on the player to be in Dublin on March 29 for a pivotal tie against the Group D leaders.
“We need James fit and right for the game against Poland,” asserted Kilbane, mightily impressed by the Glaswegian’s comeback displays against Liverpool and Chelsea over the past week.
“James was Everton’s best performer in the Merseyside derby and could essentially be Ireland’s most important player over the next five or 10 years.
“You’ve got to look at the big international games as a priority. I get that club managers want the best for themselves but it might sometimes take a player to highlight that fact to a manager. Some players allow the decision be made for them. I don’t know the ins and outs of the situation with James but I think you’ve got to take responsibility and show what it means for you to come and play (for your county).
“When I played, not that long ago, I saw Robbie Keane, Shay Gavin and Stephen Hunt taking injection after injection because that’s what it means for them to play for their country.
“It’s too easy for a player to be dictated to by a physiotherapist. It’s not so much the manager; the physiotherapist reports to the manager and the manager then puts pressure on the player.
“It’s happened to me at Sunderland — the physio tried to pull me out of the 2001 World Cup play-off against Iran — and it’s still going on at clubs.”
With McCarthy anchoring midfield, Kilbane is confident about Ireland’s prospects of beating Poland to record Ireland’s most significant home win since defeating the Dutch in 2001.
He said: “We can win this one but there’s certainly no way we can afford to lose it. A six-point gap with five games left, four if you take Gibraltar, would be massive to overcome.”
Meanwhile Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic will not face any action after clashing with McCarthy in Chelsea’s 1-0 win on Wednesday but both clubs have been charged by the FA with failing to control their players.
Ivanovic and McCarthy tangled in a melee after the sending-off of Gareth Barry in the 86th minute of the London side’s 1-0 win.
* TV3 football analysts Kevin Kilbane and Brian Kerr were speaking yesterday at the announcement of the broadcaster’s continued live Uefa Champions League coverage on Tuesday nights, resuming with PSG v Chelsea next week.
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