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The plaudits keep rolling in for him, Named in the Championship team of the year alongside Paddy Kenny and Wes Hoolahan.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13110874.stm
On current form will find himself in the premiership next season, is arguably playing the best stuff of his career right now. Reading a 10 match winning streak right now and hes turned into their key man.
What's funny is that despite Kenny, Harte and Hoolahan making the Championship team of the year, none of them are in Trapattoni's plans.:rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Murfinator
All 3 could be in the premiership next season, will be a lot more difficult for him to ignore them then.
You would think...
Where has Harte been playing. Centre Half??
There was talk him being fond of the scoops whilst at Sunderland. Wonder if he's giving it a miss....
He's been playing left back for Reading when I've seen him.
Full respect to the Hoolahoop, much underappreciated player.
Apparently St Ledger was in the Championship mugs team, along with Paul Green.
From yesterday's Oirish Daily Mail. Sorry about the formatting.
Quote:
April 18 (Daily Mail) -- IT HAS been more than four years since Ian Harte last played for the Republic of Ireland and the chances of adding to his 64 caps look slim.
In contrast, the full-back's current club form has been superb. Performing admirably on the Championship's form team, the Reading man's career is definitely back on track.
After his forced exit from Leeds United due to their financial crisis, the Drogheda-born player became largely forgotten about on the international scene when he packed his bags and joined Levante in Spain back in 2004.
The Leeds curse followed Harte back to England three years later as he struggled to settle at a club after brief spells with Sunderland and Blackpool, but he finally landed at Carlisle in League One before earning a move to Reading.
Recognised as the Championship Player of the Month for March, the 33-year-old has been in the form of his life this season, while showing he has certainly not lost his knack of scoring from free- kicks.
More importantly, with Reading now just three points off the automatic promotion places after Saturday's 3-1 win over Leicester City -- their eighth victory in a row -- Harte could be back plying his trade in the Premier League next season at this rate.
Not that Harte assumes that his form will get him back into Ireland manager Giovanni Trappatoni's thoughts, particularly when, much to his bemusement, he has recently been overlooked in favour of Ipswich centre-half Damien Delaney in the left-back position.
Harte's hunch was confirmed by Trapattoni's assistant, Marco Tardelli, last week when Sportsmail quizzed him on Harte's prospects of a recall: 'I saw 10 Reading matches. For [Shane] Long, for [Noel] Hunt, for Ian Harte. Ian Harte is a good player, he's got good quality, but we have young players with the same qualities. We look for the future.'
Of course, Harte, who last played for Ireland in a Euro
2008 qualifier against San Marino in 2007, remains hopeful his exploits are being followed by the Italian.
Nonetheless he insists if he does not receive a call from Trapattoni by the end of next season then he will retire from international football.
'I'm sure Mr Trapattoni will have seen what I've done this season and the goals I've scored,' Harte told Sportsmail. 'I know Alan Kelly, the goalkeeping coach, and I've said to Longey many times when he has gone across to mention my name. I haven't heard anything yet but if I keep putting in some decent performances then I might get a shout.
'I've always thought I'll keep it open while I'm playing.
In League One, it was always difficult but when you're in a team in the Championship that's challenging then you're giving yourself a big shot. Obviously if it doesn't happen this season then I'll have to retire. I'm not getting any younger and to never retire you look a bit of fool, just hanging on and hoping.
'There has to come a day but please God I will get the opportunity. It does looks like he's [Trapattoni] going for a younger team now though. He's got a few old players like Shay [Given], Kevin Kilbane, Robbie Keane and Richard [Dunne], but other than that it's a pretty young team.
'Greg [Cunningham] was playing [at left-back] and there's Kevin Kilbane and [Ciaran] Clark at Villa. Delaney has come in too even though he's been playing centre-half at Ipswich. I'm thinking what do I have to do? It's unbelievable. I think I'll have to play up front with Longey [to get a game]!'
Looking back over his career, Harte believes his move to Levante did not help his chances of finding a club when he came back to England in 2007, as he returned as a 'forgotten man'.
Harte accepted an offer of a oneyear deal from Sunderland manager Roy Keane but it failed to work out after just four months. Trials at Wolves, Sheffield United, Norwegian side Valerenga and Charlton followed as did a short spell at Blackpool. And he pulled out of a move to St Mirren before finally signing for Carlisle.
Harte said: 'When I was at Leeds, we had a great team but unfortunately with what happened there financially, they got rid of everybody and I went to Spain. I spent three years there but I kind of became the forgotten man because unless you're at Real Madrid or Barcelona, managers over here don't know how you're getting on.
'I enjoyed my time over there but when I came back to England I found it difficult to get a club. Obviously Roy signed me at Sunderland but I didn't play too many games and then I kind of went from club to club and on trial again.
'I went to Wolves and Mick McCarthy offered me something there but I didn't think it was great so I didn't take it. Then I went to Blackpool for a few weeks. Simon Grayson signed me on a twomonth contract but then he went to Leeds. The caretaker manager [Tony Parkes] came in and wanted to sign me permanently but the board said no because they already had two other left-backs so I said well it's probably best we terminate the contract so I can look for something else. Then I went to Carlisle.'
Despite the setbacks, Harte does not regret his time in La Liga and is delighted to have now joined a promotion-challenging club such as Reading.
'I don't regret going to Spain because I really enjoyed it,' said Harte. 'It was a great experience. There's not many English [based players] that have gone over there. 'Obviously, [David] Beckham has, [Jonathan] Woodgate and [Michael] Owen.
Jermaine Pennant is probably the most recent but he was over and straight back.
'I went up to Carlisle but I was too good for League One. I scored 18 goals from centre-half and got into the team of the season. Thankfully I got the opportunity to come to such a fantastic club like Reading.
'It would be absolutely amazing if we got promoted but it's a dream. We've got five cup finals. If we can win them we will go up in second place. I'm sure the manager will be given money to spend this summer to strengthen the squad and then who knows?'
As for his own future, Harte, who has one year remaining on his contract, revealed talks have already begun with Reading about a new deal. Royals manager Brian McDermott, no doubt, aware that if his side go up, he will need players with Harte's experience.
'I've got next season but my agent has spoken to the club and they have said they will have a look at it in the summer,'
said Harte, who is Reading's second top scorer behind Shane Long on 12 goals.
'If it doesn't happen, I'm sure if I continue playing well, I'll get an opportunity elsewhere but I'm enjoying myself here.' Should the Royals seal a return to the Premier League, then Harte may well find himself back in the Ireland squad after all.
Would be quite an achievement if he worked his way back to the Premier League after all this time. I think he'd be well-deserving of a call up at least for the summer friendlies.
I would agree he is still a better option at left back than Killer
Paddy Kenny is a qlty keeper
Hoolahan is streets ahead of Keogh
All three deserved to be looked at over the summer
Another player we should be taking a closer look at is Anthony Gerrard at Hull played U18's for us declared at a very young age while at Everton
Up for player of the season at Hull . Centre half would provide another option playing the best football of his career
When he went to claim his passport, he found out he doesn't qualify for us.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dunners
Recently? He doesn't seem to think that.:confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
http://www.teamtalk.com/championship...or-Tigers-star
yeah, I also was sure that Gerrard did qualify after all. Was it Wallace you were thinking of the young Everton lad who i believe discovered that way that he didnt qualify?Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
I think Tets is right, but also that somewhere it was "established" that he was actually eligible after all.
did a quick search and, from back in the mists of time (okay, 2005), there's this thread: http://foot.ie/threads/22073-No-Anthony-Gerrard-for-ROI
I'm delighted for Harte, I've always liked him. I don't think he ever really got the credit he deserved and he'd be a welcome addition to the Ireland team, let alone squad.
Agree that his club form merits consideration for a call-up. However we know from past experience that he is quite poor defensively so the question is do we use the limited number of internationals we play each year to bring back a 33 year old into the team or do we look to the future with Clark and Cunningham?
His age isn't the issue for me... Harte (even at his pomp) needs to carried by the centre halves to a degree and we just don't have the quality at centre half to cover him.
As opposed to Killer who has to be covered by the centres halfs to some degree and covered by the left winger to a lot of degree
Exactly Dunners, I don't think that argument carries any weight DP while Kilbane is first choice.
I also think Harte's defensive frailties are, and always were, hugely exaggerated. He has an obvious enough lack of pace alright, but wasn't exposed all that often in a Leeds United or, more importantly, an Irish shirt. That was a seriously good Leeds team that he was a part of and, as we all know, they would have had no problem splashing the millions if they thought he needed replacing.