'We don't need such a person' - Hungary boss hits out after Szmodics inquiry rejected

SUPER SAMMIE: Blackburn's Sammie Szmodics, right, celebrates after scoring. AP Photo/Dave Thompson.

Hungary boss Marco Rossi insists his team doesn’t need Sammie Szmodics for the Euro finals after expressing his dismay about how his approach to the Championship’s top scorer became public.

As revealed by the Irish Examiner in January, the Blackburn Rovers attacking midfielder, who was in the Irish squad under Stephen Kenny without being capped, was sounded out about his interest in declaring for the Magyars.

The country he’s eligible for through his grandfather are grouped with Scotland, Switzerland and hosts Germany at the summer extravaganza in June and Rossi was interested in enlisting the free-scoring talent to complement Liverpool playmaker Dominik Szoboszlai.

Szmodics has hauled 27 goals for a struggling Blackburn side so far this term and Ireland’s interim boss John O’Shea saw one of them against Millwall last week, managing to have a chat with the player this week linked with a £15m summer move to Brentford.

O’Shea will be in Dublin on Thursday to name the squad for the upcoming home friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland on March 23 and 26.

Judging by Rossi’s cutting remarks on Szmodics, their dealings only helped, rather than hindered, his place in the Ireland set-up being solidified under the new permanent boss the FAI intend on revealing in early April.

Rossi succeeded in enticing former Germany U21 defender Márton Dárdai into his camp for the first time but dealt with the question of Szmodics’ availability when naming his squad for the friendlies against Turkey and Kosovo next week.

“In Szmodics's case, it was very unpleasant to know who could tell the Irish media about his invitation, after I inquired with him about whether he would be included in the Hungarian national team,” he said.

“(It was) either him or his manager. And for what purpose? To be invited to the Irish national team. We don't need such a person, even if he is a technically good player.”

He added, when speaking about the risks of enticing foreign players into his set-up; “It's hard for me to imagine another player who wasn't born in Hungary entering the squad this year.

“The feeling of belonging is an important aspect in relation to the Hungarian national team. I don't want to invite a lot of players who might weaken this togetherness.

“Márton Dárdai has been in the picture for a few years now but this time we spoke personally and convinced him that he really wants to be in the Hungarian team.

“Even though he was born in Germany, he grew up in a German environment. At the same time, he comes from the Dárdai family, speaks Hungarian in the family, his girlfriend is Hungarian, he feels Hungarian. We hope it lives up to our expectations."

Hungary’s next game after this double-header, in the build-up to the Euros, is a trip to Dublin to face Ireland on Tuesday, June 4.

It seems obvious which nation Szmodics will be lining out for.