Wonderful Wes Hoolahan must satisfy Martin O’Neill’s risk assessment

While his much less celebrated work off the ball is far too honest to merit ‘a luxury player’ tag — you can understand why Martin O’Neill harbours equally honest reservations about him, writes Liam Mackey.

I think we have to talk about Wes... again.

Truth is, all football lovers like talking about Wes. Even thinking about him does the heart good, his flair and finesse evoking luminous memories of endless street games, three-and-in, jumpers-for-goalposts, all the stuff that football dreams are made of. He’s one of those, Wes Hoolahan, a natural, his long slow ascent to the top a triumph of brain over brawn, technique over physique, inspiration over perspiration.