Originally Posted by
tetsujin1979
Hoolahan and Reid will be 34 and almost 34 respectively, when Euro 2016 kicks off. It's more likely that two of Gibson, McCarthy, Hendrick and McCann will be the starting central midfield partnership at that time, and I genuinely wouldn't think it was a positive sign of the squad progression if we were still relying in two players in the latter stages of their careers.
Grealish will be a few months short of turning 21. Similarly it's more likely that two of Brady, McGeady, Pilkington and McClean will be the starting wingers. Nobody is saying he should be captain, or even a guaranteed starter, but the signs are promising that he will be an excellent player in years to come, and hopefully a part of the squad at that time.
Dixon was cause for massive excitement, but everyone was well aware of his injury history, even at that young age. Henderson was a renowned passer of the ball in midfield in the underage setup, has scored some special goals, and was the first Irish player since the mid-late '90s to complete a full game for Arsenal. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious injury at the worst possible time and his career has stagnated since. He might get a run out this weekend for Hull against Middlesbrough.
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