Why Eunan O’Kane may have to put club before country

His season will end either in New York or Wembley but for this dilemma it’s natural for Eunan O’Kane to put club ahead of country.

The Ireland midfielder is part of a Leeds United side making their best tilt at getting back to the Premier League for the first time since 2004 and the crusade may culminate in a Championship play-off final on May 29.

That’s the same day his international colleagues will be jetting stateside for the June 1 friendly against Mexico at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the first of two auditions for the World Cup qualifier with Austria on June 11.

“Hopefully I’ll be in the play-off but back in the squad for the friendly after that,” he said in reference to the visit of Uruguay on June 4.

O’Kane’s sixth appearance for Ireland as a substitute for the last half hour was considered one of the few highlights of a drab friendly defeat to Iceland on Tuesday.

His neat footwork was in contrast to some of the predictable ploys which preceded his introduction and he wasn’t alone is wondering why more game-time wasn’t afforded to him.

“I would have liked to play longer than a half hour but that’s out of my hands,” admitted the 26-year-old.

“For the time I got on, I thought I did okay. Martin said when I was going on to get on the ball and move it quickly. That’s one of my strengths and anyone who has watched me regularly will know that’s part of my game and how I play football. You never know if it’s enough to keep your place in the next squad, maybe if I scored six goals in that half hour, it would be enough!”

A player who did come within sight of goal against the Vikings without making it count was another substitute, Callum O’Dowda.

“I need to be positive when I get on the ball at international and make things happen,” reasoned the Bristol City winger. “When people say my name I want them to think: ‘Oh yeah, he did well tonight, he helped the team’, I want them to be saying: ‘He scored that goal’.

“Step by step, I want to be aiming towards earning a starting place in the side and don’t think I am that far away.

“James McClean is in the team and has been absolutely brilliant in the last couple of years, really stepping it up. I’m learning from him but that’s the standard I need to get to.”