Trickster learning to hunt with the Tigers

ROBBIE BRADY was a name familiar to few outside the corridors of Old Trafford when he joined Hull City on loan from Manchester Untied in July.

Five months on, though, and the 19-year-old’s burgeoning reputation in the Championship precedes him.

A late push towards the international scene before next summer remains a long shot but, as Hull City fans will testify, Brady is no ordinary boy.

There is trickery and talent that make the teenage winger stand out from the crowd. Throw in boundless confidence and a feisty temperament, and Brady is destined for a Premier League.

Within his make-up are inconsistencies synonymous with the young but even on an off-day, he still has the qualities to turn a Championship fixture on its head.

Brady’s time in East Yorkshire has been hugely beneficial for all parties. While Hull City have rolled out the welcome mat for another United graduate, a six-month loan has given the rookie a platform on which to quicken his development.

It began with a bang in July when he inspired a 3-0 friendly win over Liverpool in his first appearance at the KC Stadium and Brady’s stunning strike from 20 yards out warranted a more significant stage.

August saw Brady at his eye-catching best. A string of man-of-the-match performances were the only bright point of a dismal opening month for the Tigers and he provided his only league goal to date in a 1-0 win over Reading.

Brady was Hull’s unknown quantity in those opening weeks of the season. Defenders didn’t know how to handle his trickery or direct running, and a turn of pace left many full-backs trailing in his wake.

However, a gradual downturn has followed those heady autumn days.

Caretaker boss Nick Barmby last week observed that opponents had “cottoned on” to Brady’s talent and were no longer vulnerable to the unknown quantity.

Such an assessment carries water but Brady has also begun to look jaded.

As an ever-present in Hull’s first 15 Championship fixtures, not to mention a further five caps for Ireland under-21s this season, fatigue has begun to take its toll on a youngster who spent last season in United’s reserve ranks.

The demands of regular first-team football are still a fresh challenge and for Hull’s recent fixtures against West Ham United and Derby County, Brady found himself relegated to the bench.

Saturday’s clash with Burnley at the KC Stadium saw Barmby recall the youngster but an erratic display summed up his current form.

Sporadic flashes of class were encouraging but a desire to do too much was consistently his downfall.

Regular viewers of Noel King’s under-21s side will need no introductions to Brady.

He has been the stand-out performer in the opening rounds of qualifiers for Euro 2013 with four goals to his name already this term. That type of form will surely not have go unnoticed by the senior ranks.

Domestically, Barmby would dearly like to see Brady stick around for the remainder of the season and help the Tigers carve a path back into the Premier League.

There is little chance of the teenager featuring for United this season so an extended stay at the KC Stadium would perhaps offer him the best chance of a late Euro 2012 call-up.

Regardless of how Brady fairs in the run-up to next summer, his inclusion would be a huge gamble by Giovanni Trapattoni.

To allocate a precious squad place to a youngster with only one year in senior football would be an obvious risk, and unless quick improvements can be made, Euro 2012 will be one major tournament too soon for this precocious winger.