Trapattoni wants McCarthy for Ireland

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI is lending his weight to the Irish side of the rope in the tug of war with Scotland over midfield starlet James McCarthy.

And it could mean that the 17-year- old will be fast-tracked into the senior squad to copper-fasten his Irish credentials.

Fears that the Hamilton player might be secured by his native Scotland were raised when he pulled out of Ireland’s U-21 friendly against Lithuania next week.

But McCarthy, whose grandfather comes from Donegal and who has already been capped for Ireland up to U-19 level, said yesterday that his club had withdrawn him because of a thigh strain.

However, the explanation won’t have quelled fears that the Scottish can still lure the 17-year-old after assistant manager Terry Butcher last week expressed a public interest in acquiring his services.

“Scotland are interested in taking on board any quality player and he is a quality player,” Butcher said.

Meanwhile, McCarthy himself was keeping tight-lipped.

“I don’t want to speak about the Scotland stories because I haven’t spoken to the gaffer yet,” he said.

However, Giovanni Trapattoni has expressed confidence that the player will commit to Ireland.

“He has two possibilities, Ireland and Scotland,” the manager said yesterday. “I will speak to him and I think he will choose Ireland. I am always positive.”

The manager went on to suggest that there was a chance McCarthy could be called up into the senior squad for next month’s friendly against Poland in Dublin.

In apparently unflappable mood, Trapattoni also said that, even now, he still remains hopeful that Stephen Ireland will resume his international career at some point.

Said Trapattoni: “I have the feeling that in the future he will change and think ‘I can go again to play for Ireland’. I saw him play well and score a great goal against Liverpool but I did not speak to him. For now, I want to leave him alone.”