Let's not let this thread be derailed. Amond will hopefully at some point feature for Ireland if he proves himself up to the task.
And that's the big issue which, in my opinion, a lot of posters miss. One way a player needs to be judged is by the quality of the players they are proving themselves superior to / capable against.
There have been a few times when the cry of "What about Keith Fahey/Kevin Doyle? Did he magically improve overnight?" The answer is probably no. The improvement in his ability over a few months would be marginal. But what the transfer allows the Irish management to see is how he fares against a better quality of opposition. Just because a player can bang in goals / command midfield in the LOI doesn't mean he can do it at the top level. It doesn't mean that he can't either, the fact is that we just don't know. As a player moves up, we get a fuller picture of how good they really are. This will happen with Amond also.