Dunphy slams O'Neill's choices: ‘We've a player who'd get in the England team’

Eamon Dunphy – and Damien Duff – are of the view that Wes Hoolahan is peculiarly unpopular with Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill.

According to Dunphy, O’Neill is “curiously reluctant to acknowledge Wes’s contribution.”

The player was widely praised after Sunday's win against Moldova and speaking on 2FM's Game On show, Dunphy criticised O’Neill for his lack of appreciation for Hoolahan.

52: Opportunity for Ireland on the break. Wes Hoolahan's effort from 25 yards is well saved by Calancea. End to end at the moment. #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/TmBWbqeKCT

— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) October 9, 2016

”He doesn’t play Wes except when it’s absolutely unavoidable,” Dunphy said. “He refuses to name him in his praise.

“He was glowing in his praise of James McClean but as Damien Duff observed on RTE last night, he seems curiously reluctant to acknowledge Wes’s contribution, which is outstanding, of course.”

Dunphy is adamant Hoolahan needs to be in the starting side for our remaining world Cup qualifying games.

“We’ve got Austria and Wales in the next three games and if we start with the centre halves we started with last night and if we start without Wes Hoolahan, we ain’t going to the World Cup. Nothing that happened in Wales last night validates stupidity on our part."

He went on to made a big claim on behalf of the Norwich City midfielder.

“And the stupidity on our part is that we have a player who’d probably get into the England team,” he insisted. I saw England as well, and I saw France play Bulgaria. I was watching football all weekend.

“And there’s very few players, if any, better than Wes Hoolahan.”

Clearly Dunphy thinks very highly of Hoolahan, we’ll have to wait and see if O’Neill is listening.

h/t: benchwarmers.ie