Andrew Omobamidele focused on Ireland despite club concerns
FOCUS AMID CONCERN: Evan Ferguson and Andrew Omobamidele, left, during a Republic of Ireland training session. Pic: Stephen McCarthy, Sportsfile
Andrew Omobamidele is concentrating on the job at hand with the Republic of Ireland after his club Nottingham Forest was deducted four Premier League points for financial irregularities last Monday.
The two-time European champions dropped to 18th place, inside the relegation zone, as a result of the decision by an independent commission to punish what it said was a breach of the Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PRS).
“It’s tough yeah,” said the defender, “especially getting news when we’re not together as a team. To be honest, I haven’t had much time to think about it, a big game at the weekend. I’m here with the boys … so I’m fully focused on this weekend.”
Signed from Norwich City on transfer deadline day last September, the Kildare man’s time at the City Ground has been anything but dull with Steve Cooper replaced as manager by Nuno Espirito Santo just before Christmas.
Brought in for a reported sum of almost €13m, and with AC Milan said to be among the other clubs showing interest, Omobamidele still hadn’t featured for Forest by the time Cooper cleared out his desk.
His debut only came the following month when he scored a goal in the club’s 3-2 FA Cup win away to Blackpool. Cooper had praised the Irishman’s work ethic and patience just days before leaving and the player himself echoes that now.
“It’s football,” he said before tomorrow’s friendly against Belgium.
“I wanted to challenge myself. I know it’s not a case where you’re going to move teams and be first-choice straight away. You move teams and you have to earn your spot.
“I know that first-hand. Everything I’ve had up until now I’ve had to graft for it, and I know how that is. I enjoy it, to be honest. It was challenging, the first five-six months, but I’m happy where I’m at.”
Omobamidele has played in ten of Forest’s 13 games since that bow at Blackpool, starting eight of them. He has faced Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney, Evan Ferguson and Gabriel Jesus but the toughest opponent? Luis Diaz.
It’s an elite education for a player who is still only 21 and who, in Brentford’s Nathan Collins, has an Irish teammate whom he can pick up the phone to and chat to about the job at hand for them in the world’s most high-profile league.
Playing for a side like Forest, who have won just six of their 29 league games and have just nine left in which to save their top-flight status, means he will likely have plenty more defending to do as the season reaches its end point.
“Regardless of what position you're in in the Premier League, you're going to be tested defensively because of the calibre of the league. Each game I play I am gaining more experience and playing against good players every week, you have to get better.”
There is more ground to be made up with Ireland.
Omobamidele’s path looked smooth when he made his senior debut as an early replacement for Dara O’Shea away to Portugal three years ago. Then a debilitating back injury later in 2021 kept him sidelined for half a year.
The net result as far as his international career is concerned has been a drip of caps since. He has only seven as of now and just three of them have come since his last competitive appearance, away to Luxembourg, in November of ’21.
Ireland have played 21 games in that same space. That’s a major slice of football that has been lost to him, and in a position of such strength for the national team, but he doesn’t see it now as a case of making up for lost time.
“No, not necessarily. I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason, and my injuries are part of the game. My mentality is more excited to get back in, and hopefully get to a level, and better, than I was at previously. That's the way I am thinking right now.”
The vibes are good in camp. John O’Shea and Glenn Whelan bring over 200 caps and so much more to the interim group’s coaching table and Brian Kerr’s assimilation back into the fold seems to have gone well.
Playing two friendlies this next four days is a reminder again as to how Ireland have fallen short in qualification since last making a major finals in 2016, but this remains an opportunity for players to make some new memories and make up for the tougher times.
“It's massive. Those kinds of moments do get you through the injuries, thinking back to my debut against Portugal, the Serbia game. It almost pushes you along a bit more, to think back on the big games you played and being around the lads.”
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