Returning Kyle Hosford: I bring that tenacity and intensity that Ireland needed
HOSFORD FOCUS: Kyle Hosford at Irish Basketball training on Tuesday morning
Just when you think you have all the answers, Kyle Hosford changes the question.
After making a stunning u-turn on his retirement decision with UCC Demons at the end of October, the former Ireland captain is back for the national side after a three year absence.
Hosford is part of Mark Keenan’s side for internationals away to Switzerland (Thursday) and Azerbaijan (Sunday). Ireland’s fate in FIBA World Cup qualification is at stake, with at least one win necessary to have any chance of progressing to the next stage.
Hosford, naturally, is focused but calm. He had to play cute around his comeback for Demons originally, keeping it quiet until the formal announcement.
“It was being talked about at the time but I was keeping it under wraps. It’s exciting to be back with Ireland. This is an important window for Ireland. We had our first training session on Monday and went through what the Swiss do,” said Hosford.
“The last time we played them, they beat us by Switzerland but it was closer the previous time we played them away. We want to recreate that and get one better. We owe them one.”
Hosford’s return to Demons helped them to a cup final last month and they currently sit atop the standings in the Super League.
One of his first games back was away to Templeogue, coached by Keenan, and Hosford made sure to let the Irish boss know that he wanted to be on his radar.
“It was in my subconscious. We played them in the arena and I said in passing, really in a joking sense, that I’d be waiting for the call for the Ireland team. It was there in my head. I was talking to [Ireland captain] Seán Flood before I talked to Mark seriously about it,” he said.
“I knew there were some murmurs happening. That was it. I was off work for the week so it was an easy decision to be honest.”
The one downside of Hosford coming out of retirement is that his friends and family are gently ribbing him over whether any future retirements will really be permanent.
“I never thought I’d be the fella that would come out of retirement. I’m getting abuse from friends and family now. It’s a bit of slagging but they’re all congratulating me. It’s always a privilege and an honour to play for the national team,” said Hosford.
“If I didn’t have nerves, I wouldn’t have come back. I’d be too comfortable and that’s when mistakes happen. To keep on your toes and to keep your mind sharp, you need some nerves.”
At 35, Hosford is the unquestioned veteran of the side. He knows that his role as a communicator and leader with the side is just as important as his own playing contribution.
“I recognise the role. I’ve spoken with Mark and Adrian [Fulton]. They know what to expect from me and what I expect from players. I hold people accountable, there’s no slack in training.
"This is an international window, it’s a step up if not two from club basketball. I bring that tenacity and intensity that’s needed,” he said.
Despite knowing that it may be one of his last chances to wear the green jersey, Hosford isn’t attaching any extra importance to this window for himself.
“No not personally. It will always be the team first. I want to help the team and hopefully drag ourselves over the line to qualify.”
The permutations for Ireland’s progress are complex to say the least, particularly if they don’t beat the Swiss on Thursday. A tenured professor of maths specialising in probability would have trouble working them out.
That impossible complexity has made things easier for the Ireland squad according to Hosford, as they can just focus on trying to win the two games ahead of them.
“Some of the lads aren’t the brightest, if they had to think that through they’re heads would hurt. Thankfully we don’t have to worry about all of that,” he said.
With back to back wins over Kosovo and Azerbaijan in the previous window in November, Hosford believes the team can continue its winning run.
“I’m very confident. After the last window, the lads are riding that wave so I’m just tagging along in that sense. I always feel confident no matter where I’m playing, Switzerland have a big physical side, they’re well drilled, so we’ll disrupt that as best we can,” he said.
“We’ve got versatility in every position. We’re not the biggest team but we’re so versatile. We can use our pace to get rebounds and outrun teams.”
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