Ireland manager Mick McCarthy has admitted that Shane Long is back in his thoughts after he scored against Tottenham in the FA Cup.
McCarthy says that it is important for Long to be playing regular football in order to make the Ireland squad, which he now is for Southampton.
Long scored in Southampton’s 3-2 defeat to Spurs, with McCarthy now considering calling him up for Ireland’s crucial European Championships qualifier against Slovakia next month.
Speaking via the Independent, McCarthy said:
I am sure people are fed up of me talking about the need for Shane to play first team football but that is exactly what I have been saying to Shane since I got the job.
Shane is playing again and scoring again and that means he is pushing all the right buttons ahead of Slovakia.
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Long was excellent against Tottenham, working the channels and creating space for his teammates to trouble the Spurs defence. However, he also managed to get himself in goalscoring positions in the box and was rewarded with a tap-in after Hugo Lloris palmed a shot in his direction.
He was constantly stretching the Tottenham centre-backs throughout the game, which allowed the likes of Danny Ings and Nathan Redmond to make runs in behind into open space.
Long may not be the most prolific forward, with just two goals this season, but his movement off the ball allows others to thrive. This is because he drags defenders out of position and creates the space for his teammates to drive into, which he could do for Ireland if given the chance against Slovakia.
If he is called up, Long could prove key for Ireland in qualifying if he is able to play to the best of his abilities because of his work-rate and attacking intelligence.
He is also out of contract with Southampton at the end of the season, so it will be interesting to see whether Ralph Hasenhuttl decides to offer him a new deal.
At 33, he may not have his best years ahead of him, but he could still be a useful squad member for the Austrian boss moving forward.
