Graham Cummins: Home-based call-ups not an insult but I wouldn't get too excited

'INSULT': Were John Caulfield's words are a tactic to keep players grounded, asks Graham Cummins. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

I would never see being called-up to represent your country at any level as an “insult”, which is how Galway United manager John Caulfield described his player Alex Murphy’s inclusion in the Republic of Ireland U21 extended squads. But I do understand John’s point of view.

Manager Jim Crawford named a host of League of Ireland players in his extended panel for the European Championship qualifier against Montenegro on October 12, because Montenegro is on the UK and German red list regarding Covid-19 quarantine restrictions, meaning any UK or German-based Ireland U21 player would have to quarantine before returning to their clubs.

Caulfield referred to the backup players as being “second choice” and used like “guinea pigs” and I think a lot of the managers in our league, if they are being truthful, would see it the same way. From a player’s perspective, although I’m sure that they wouldn’t see the call as an insult, I don’t think many would have been celebrating the honour.

I don’t want to take anything away from these players and of course should be proud to be the ‘best of the rest’. But it would be naive to think they have earned this call-up on merit. The way some young players are in the game these days, this call-up could inflate their ego and they might start to believe they are better than they really are. Perhaps Caulfield’s words are a tactic to keep players grounded and not get caught up in the extra attention they would have received from being selected.

Will these players look back at this call-up in years to come and speak proudly about representing Ireland or will they regard their international cap as having an asterisk next to their name? For me it would be the latter. I represented Ireland once at U23 level, it would have been twice but I declined an offer because I felt my college exams were more important. The U23 team was selected from players only playing in the League of Ireland. I always feel a little bit embarrassed when anyone asks me if I represented Ireland because I feel it wasn’t a real international cap because it did not include players from outside of the league.

My wife always asks why I don’t get the jersey framed, but I would feel awkward displaying it in the house in case someone visited and asked me about it. It’s 11 years since that game against Estonia in Tallinn and I’m still waiting on an actual cap. Still, the home-based players that have been selected by Crawford have to use this as an opportunity. Whether that is to imprint themselves in the Ireland U21 manager’s mind for future squads or to see this as a way to boost their chances of playing abroad.

The League of Ireland does have a reputation for producing good young players capable of playing in the UK and a few of these home-based players, who might never have been known to clubs in the UK, might just have drawn some attention from UK clubs. Their names might need Googling, but scouts may have been asked to compile reports on these players.

Even if clubs in the UK aren’t interested, there are six players included in that extended squad that play in the First Division (that are not on-loan from other clubs) and I’m sure clubs in the Premier Division will have heightened their interest in those players.

Players like Galway’s Murphy and Cork City’s Josh Honohan are young players who will have ambitions of playing at a higher level and this call-up will increase their profile. Unfortunately, those call-ups do have consequences for the league in terms of fixtures this weekend with all but one game postponed. At the beginning of the season, it would have been assumed that, with seven games remaining, the meeting of Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers would be close to a title decider.

However, Rovers are champions in waiting, and this game is about Dundalk trying to get points on the board to move away from the relegation playoff spot. They shouldn’t expect any favours from Rovers, who would love to see the Lilywhites drop out of the league.

As poor as Dundalk have been over the past two seasons, Rovers will be wary that there is potential that the Louth club could come back and be one of their main title challengers next season, and they will be eager to help send them down.

As much as neutrals want to see the best teams in the division, if it was a choice between Waterford, Finn Harps, Drogheda United or Dundalk being relegated, Rovers would select Vinny Perth’s side because of their future potential threat.

Dundalk’s form isn’t down to the lack of quality in the squad but the attitude of the players. Perth’s side can beat anyone on their day and they will be motivated for this game considering the history between the sides.