McCarthy in Euro plea to Trapattoni
“Hopefully I am on that plane but I just need to keep working hard at my club and if I get in the Euro 2012 squad then all be it I will be absolutely over the moon,” said the 21-year-old Wigan midfielder.
“As a boy you dream of going to places and playing in big European Championships but at the moment I just want to keep playing week in and week out for my club.”
Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has not been happy on occasions that Wigan have deemed him unfit for international duty.
McCarthy admitted: “It has been frustrating. At the start of the season here it was stop, start with injuries and it has been the same when I have been with Ireland.
“Hopefully that is me getting over my injuries and now I can play each week that I can really show the boss that I can get in that squad.”
McCarthy came on as an impressive second half substitute in the 2-1 victory at West Brom on Saturday that moved them out of the relegation zone.
Wigan moved out of the bottom three as West Brom’s penalty curse struck again via Jordi Gomez’s spot-kick winner at The Hawthorns.
Steven Reid’s free-kick put the Baggies ahead but Victor Moses’ first goal for 13 months brought the Latics level before half-time.
Then Albion conceded a penalty for the fourth successive home game when Reid was adjudged to have fouled Moses – and Gomez ensured back-to-back away wins for Wigan.
It left Reid with mixed emotions after his thumping free kick. He explained: “I just hit one in the warm-up. In a similar position I just fancied that one but though that went in, I feel terrible giving away the penalty.”
Latics boss Roberto Martinez praised Moses for his heroics. “It was a real quality finish by Victor for our first goal and great skill by him to get the penalty.
“When you have got talent like Victor, he can be unstoppable in one versus one situations.
“His goal will give him a real confidence boost but I’m extremely pleased with the level of performance of Victor even though he has not been scoring goals.
“He is 21 on Monday so this is a fantastic birthday present. Getting goals, getting that final pass, or getting penalties, is something he can do.”
Albion have now conceded penalties in four successive home games but head coach Roy Hodgson preferred not to comment on decisions made by referee Mike Dean.
He said: “My wife slaughters me for complaining about the penalties, and she is probably right, so I prefer to say nothing.
“People can make up their own mind. We will just get on with it. There is no doubt that it was a penalty for their goal.
“If he (Dean) got any of the others (decisions) wrong, I don’t know. Time will tell.
“The TVs will go through the analysis. They will come up with the answers. I will keep my mouth shut.”
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