I want to take games by scruff of the neck

At the end of a week in which John Giles added his voice of authority to those who’ve begun to question whether James McCarthy will ever fully impose himself as an international midfielder, the player himself has said he accepts he needs to do more to assert himself in the green shirt.

“I want to impose myself more on the pitch for Ireland,” the Everton man admitted yesterday.

“I’ve done well enough for my club and I want to take that into the internationals. But at times, international and club football is different and, obviously, a lot of people think I don’t take the game by the scruff of the neck maybe like I do back at the club. But it’s difficult at times, a lot of people are saying this and that.