Stop-start McCarthy prepared to wait his turn
It is more than 18 months since the Wigan Athletic player made his senior debut for the Republic of Ireland but it is a mark of his difficulties since then that he has made more of an impression on the international scene on those weeks when he has not been present.
Just two caps have been won since that bow against Brazil in London — an ineffectual start against Uruguay in the hole behind Shane Long and a cameo in a qualifier against Macedonia which under FIFA rules did at least end any lingering rumours of a switch back to Scotland.
Yet, the fact is that the debate regarding his desire to wear the green has arisen all too frequently after a series of unfortunately-timed injuries and, it must be said, some less-than-helpful comments from both Trapattoni and his club boss Roberto Martinez.
The matter came to a head last May when the player failed to turn up for the end-of-season Carling Nations Cup ties against Northern Ireland and Scotland and a war of claim and counter-claim broke out between Dublin and Wigan.
The nub of the issue was, after all the jigs and reels, one of communication over the procedure for players carrying injuries, with Trapattoni insisting that members of his squad should still travel to team HQ to have their ailments assessed by the FAI.
Yet McCarthy wasn’t alone in the fog of all that confusion.
Jonathan Walters and Marc Wilson were other ‘no-shows’ and the resulting controversy completely overshadowed games and a competition that were already struggling to gain a foothold in the public’s imagination.
“To be honest, there was not much in it,” said McCarthy in Malahide ahead of the European Championship qualifiers against Andorra and Armenia. “There were people just jumping on things. I am not sure about what happened.
“There were a couple of injuries and I think there was just a mix-up between me phoning and me not phoning. Everything is fine, I get on well with the boss and I am happy to be here and part of the squad.”
Does he understand Trap’s anger at the time? “Well, he wants to check over your injuries with the medical staff and see what is injured and what is happening. My physio contacted them at the time. That’s all put to bed now.”
McCarthy’s prospects weren’t helped again in August by a recurrence of an old ankle injury which prevented him from answering yet another call from Trapattoni, this time for the Aviva Stadium friendly against Croatia.
By the time the double-header against Slovakia and Russia swung around a month later he found himself relegated to U21 duty before injuries to others opened up a slot on the bench for the visit to Moscow.
He has been called up directly to the senior squad this time but it is hard to see him earning much playing time given his inexperience, Trapattoni’s grá for Glenn Whelan and Keith Andrews and McCarthy’s more celebrated offensive skills.
On that last point, he begs to differ.
“At club level lately I have been playing more as a sitter. Glenn and Keith have been different class and it’s hard to get into the team as they are two experienced pros, playing week in week out with their clubs. Then they are coming away and doing well with Ireland.
“It’s just about when you get a chance then you try to take it. To be fair, Glenn and Keith are always encouraging me in training and they have obviously been different class for me, as have the other boys.”
Bottom line, then? He’s happy to be here and equally happy to concede that there are more senior men in the queue ahead of him for a starting slot as Ireland push towards what would be a first major championship appearance in 10 years.
“It would be a dream come true to be honest” he said. “As a young boy, you always look at big competitions and say to yourself, ‘I’d love to play in it’, especially with Ireland.
“It would be a dream come true for myself, the other players, and even my family. But there’s two tough games coming up and they’re not going to be easy.”
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