Having last played for Ireland in 2016 during their 3-1 World Cup qualifying win in Moldova, Stephen Kenny has said that Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy is itching to get back into the national side.
With the excitement surrounding the inclusion of younger players like Jason Molumby, Adam Idah, and Troy Parrott in the Irish squad, it's somewhat easy to overlook the return of James McCarthy to the Irish setup.
At present, the Crystal Palace midfielder is a doubt for Ireland's upcoming games against Bulgaria and Finland after he picked up a knock in Palace’s recent 2-1 win against Oxford United.
Sadly, injury and an inability to make the squad has defined McCarthy's time as an Irish player but Stephen Kenny has insisted that the former Everton midfielder is "very keen" to return to the Irish side.
Speaking with OTB Sports at the Irish press conference on Sunday morning, Kenny said: "James McCarthy is travelling in today, we'll assess him and see how he is. Midweek, he played for Crystal Palace and picked up a knock on the back of his leg from a tackle.
"He was quite a sore after it. We'll assess it today and see how he is. I know James is very keen to come back and play for Ireland. It has been a few years since he played, I know he'll be a huge addition to us, no doubt. "
In terms of McCarthy's overall career, it's arguable that the midfielder is playing his best football at Selhurst Park.
Last season, McCarthy made 33 appearances in the Premier League, playing a part in every game since the start of November. Prior to this run in the Palace side, he had made only 17 league appearances in the previous three seasons combined.
Still only 29, Kenny is predicting McCarthy to have a bigger role in the Irish team over the next few months and clearly rates the midfielder.
“I know James hasn't played [for Ireland] since 2016 and there were a couple of tough years there for him with injuries and it can be mentally tough when that happens. He is someone who is extremely talented,” said Kenny on Monday afternoon.
“He has an exceptional range of passing. I don't think we have utilised him in his best position a lot. We haven't utilised his talent overall and injuries have prevented him becoming sort of regarded as the best midfield player of the generation which, in my mind, he is.
“He's only 29 now so even some of his best performances might be ahead of him if he can stay fit. If we can get him facing the goal and get the ball to him in midfield with the speed that we've got, attacking options and the speed, it could be a good combination.”
As for Kenny's other injury concerns, Troy Parrott picked up a muscle injury in Millwall's win against Southend, while West Bromwich Albion's Dara O'Shea has been called up to the Republic of Ireland squad for the first time.
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