Eoghan O’Connell now eyes Irish place

Eoghan O’Connell hopes he can catch the eye of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill after proving he can perform in front of a packed Aviva Stadium.

The 20-year-old made his European debut in Celtic’s 1-1 Champions League draw with Astana in Kazakhstan last Wednesday, and followed it up with a composed display against Barcelona on Saturday in Dublin.

O’Connell is hopeful of keeping his place for this week’s crucial second leg against the Kazakhs in Celtic Park, and while Kolo Toure, Mikael Lustig and Erik Sviatchenko may have something to say about that, the Cork youngster’s progress is proof that football doesn’t always follow a logical path.