Wilson: You don’t pick your country for a career

Marc Wilson has laughed off Michael O’Neill’s suggestion that players from the North who have declared for the Republic have not had the best of it.

The Northern Ireland manager made his comments in Dublin this week but Antrim-born Wilson, one of the players O’ Neill had offered by way of evidence for his observation, has dismissed the criticism.

With a laugh, he says: “It’s a strange one, isn’t it? I don’t know how he could say we would have had a better career if we chose to play for Northern Ireland to be honest. I think that’s none of his business. You don’t pick your country for a career, definitely not.”

Giovanni Trapattoni will be at the Britannia Stadium this afternoon to watch Wilson and other Irish players in action in Stoke City’s game against West Brom. Wilson is being widely tipped to start against Sweden in Stockholm next Friday after impressing in his competitive debut against the Faroe Islands last October when he got on the 4-1 scoresheet with a wonderful strike.

However, the player sustained a broken fibula that same month and, only now, is he finally on the cusp of earning his fourth cap.

“To be honest, I never realised I’d broken my leg until I had the x-ray,” he recalls of the incident. “I thought it was ligaments in the knee because I had a pain in my knee. I never realised it was my leg until I went to the hospital and was told the situation. It was a long road to get back to get fit but we’ve got a very good medical staff at Stoke.”

Although Trapattoni would most likely have him in mind as left-full, that’s not where he’ll see Wilson playing today.

“I’ll be playing centre-half,” the 25 year old confirms. “Robert Huth got suspended so I’m going to have to play there. I don’t mind playing there though I don’t see myself playing there week-in, week-out. I don’t think Trapattoni being at the game will matter when I get out there. I’ve to do a job for my team first, get the three points. That’s what I’ll be concentrating on.”

And on the subject of his enforced wait for a resumption of his international career, he remarks: “To be honest I’m happy to play for Ireland and I’ll play anywhere. I’ve been out for a few months so I’m just happy to be named in the squad. If I’m asked to play anywhere, I’m ready.”

After the visit to Stockholm next Friday, Ireland face Austria in a second World Cup qualifier the following Tuesday with the FAI pointing out yesterday that tickets for the Aviva Stadium are still available.