Former Wolves striker Kevin Doyle says that he cannot understand why Shane Long was not selected to play for Ireland in their recent internationals.
Doyle says that there should have been more of an uproar over Long’s absence when Mick McCarthy opted against selecting him for the last few Ireland games.
Ireland face Slovakia in a crucial European Championships play-off match next month.
Speaking on The Buildup Pod with Ladbrokes, Doyle said:
I couldn’t believe there wasn’t more of an issue made of him not being in that squad – a proven Premier League player over the years. It was just brushed over in the end. I was trying to bring it up but no one wanted to talk about it.
His pace alone is way ahead of what we have. He’s experienced – if he’d been in any of the last few squads, he’d have more goals than the rest of the team combined. And he’s a Premier League striker who’s playing.
READ SOUTHAMPTON VERDICT
Long has been in impressive form of late and is starting to show why he could deserve a place in the Ireland squad next month. The forward has scored two goals in four games, with strikes against Tottenham and Wolves – both clubs in the top 10 in the Premier League. This shows that he is still capable of scoring goals in the top-flight and that he could still have something to offer his country going forward.
As Doyle says, his pace and experience could be key for Ireland. Long is excellent at working the channels and creating space in the final third for his teammates. He drags defenders out of position with his pace and movement, as he knows which areas of the pitch to run into to open up room for others to go through the middle.
Doyle also makes the point of Long playing regular Premier League football. This means that he is match-fit and ready to go, rather than being a player who has been sat on the bench for months and as such, may not be ready to be thrown into action for his country straight away.
