John Fallon: Latvia friendly timely for Ferguson and Hodge to stake claims for France

Any doubts about the readiness of Evan Ferguson and Joe Hodge for senior international service have been quelled since the Premier League resumed, each contributing to their respective team’s revival.

PRODIGY: Joe Hodge of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Pic: Isaac Parkin - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images

FRIENDLY misfire. Irish fans are entitled to feel a tad shortchanged attending non-competitive matches at Aviva Stadium over recent years.

In 2022, Belgium rocked up with what transpired to be just three of starters of the team that began their World Cup campaign seven month later.