Eagle-eyed Irish football fans will have been intrigued by one particular aspect of Heimir Hallgrímsson’s Ireland squad when it filtered through on Thursday.
The Icelandic coach made five changes to the squad he selected for October’s games, many of them enforced due to injury or seeing players return from lay-offs.
The experienced duo of Seamus Coleman and Shane Duffy return, while there are also call-ups for Stoke City duo Tom Cannon and Andy Moran.
In the absence of Matt Doherty and Chiedozie Ogbene, one might have expected Festy Ebosele to put his hat firmly in the ring as Ireland’s long-term right-back. However, the squad list had one intriguing detail which could suggest that Ebosele’s future for Ireland is further up the pitch.
In the official graphic circulated by the FAI, Ebosele was listed as a forward – something which Hallgrímsson addressed in Thursday’s press conference.
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Ireland squad list suggests new role for Festy Ebosele
Festy Ebosele’s place among the Ireland “forwards” in Thursday’s squad announcement raised more than a few eyebrows given that he has traditionally operated at right-back or right wing-back at international level.
However, the 22-year-old’s secure place in the Watford team this season has been on the right of midfield. With the Hornets just outside the play-off places on goal difference, Ebosele has been a consistent starter down the right, and there may be a chance for him to operate higher up the pitch for Ireland in the absence of Chiedozie Ogbene.
Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrímsson was asked about the positioning of Ebosele on the squad announcement graphic at Thursday’s press conference at FAI HQ. Though the Ireland manager joked that he was not convinced by listing Ebosele as a forward, he explained the qualities that he things make Ebosele a “different” kind of player.
Festy is a little bit of a different kind of player. Again, he’s really exciting. He can do things that just blow your mind.
[His] speed in the last game, he played as a right-back in the first half and left-back in the second half and was good at both.
He is really good going forward and thee are not many who have his speed, so he can play a lot of roles. Where he was put on this list, I’m not sure, but he can play a lot of roles.
In the Greece game, he started as a winger and ended up as a full-back. It’s great to have a player you can move and tweak in-game.
Ireland fans certainly got a glimpse of Festy Ebosele’s attacking threat during the last international window, with the Wexford man providing a stellar assist for Robbie Brady’s late winner in Helsinki.
🇫🇮 1-2 🇮🇪
Ireland lead! Festy Ebosele does so well to fashion the chance and it’s lashed home magnificently by Robbie Brady. ☘️☘️
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https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7🖥️ https://t.co/uiLtcfKbBP pic.twitter.com/WttqwQR4Mn
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 10, 2024
The lengthy layoff for Ogbene is a massive blow for Hallgrímsson and Ireland but, in Ebosele, he may have a ready-made replacement for the gap on the right of midfield.
It will certainly be intriguing to see where Ebosele is stationed when Ireland’s clash with Finland gets underway next Thursday.
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