Jason Knight: Goals and assists are great - but hard work is the key

Stephen Kenny said he had asked his players to 'elevate' their performances for their country when compared to their clubs

26 March 2022; Jason Knight of Republic of Ireland and Belgium goalkeeper Simon Mignolet during the international friendly match between Republic of Ireland and Belgium at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

If there was a common denominator as the Republic of Ireland senior and U21 teams offered up players for media duties last week then it was the hoops through which most of the players were having to jump to keep their careers in gear.

Troy Parrott spoke of how football was a “weird sport” after his trio of loan moves from Tottenham Hotspur. Conor Hourihane, on loan at Sheffield United, all but sounded the death knell on his time with Aston Villa, while Tyreik Wright explained how he still held out hope for a future at the Birmingham club.