Kasey McAteer: 'I'd never turn my back on a club where I've grown, loved and supported'

FIRST IRELAND START: Kasey McAteer found out he was starting for the first time for Ireland the eve before the game and after contacting his parents next up was his Foxes coach Brian Barry-Murphy. Pic: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

Brian Barry-Murphy was foremost in Kasey McAteer’s mind on who to contact when informed of his first Ireland start.

Almost two years after Stephen Kenny first spoke about the Leicester City winger pledging his allegiance to Ireland, he finally made the team on Friday.

Last September’s debut against England was the first of four appearances as a substitute but this was next level.

Heimir Hallgrimsson’s news to the 23-year-old on the eve of facing Senegal had to be shared with a select few.

Up first were his proud parents, regular attendees at club and country games, and Corkman Barry-Murphy was next on the list.

He’s coached McAteer since being handpicked by Foxes manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy to join him when taking over the strugglers at Christmas.

The son of Leeside legend Jimmy has carved out his reputation as a stellar tutor, managing at Rochdale before having the privilege of leading Manchester City’s development squad.

Avoiding the drop proved too much a task for Leicester but on a personal level McAteer finished the season strongly, starting six of the last eight games.

“Brian is a top guy,” he said about his mentor. “I texted him last night to say I was starting. He said good luck and he’d be watching. It’s great to have a fellow Irishman at the club.” 

It remains to be seen whether either will start the next Leicester chapter in the Championship.

Foxes chiefs have yet to decide if they’re sticking or twisting on the managerial front.

Newly-promoted Sunderland were already admirers of McAteer before he crowned his first international start with his first goal but he’s intent on staying loyal.

“I want to play for the club - I’ve been since I was eight years old,” he said about his affinity to City.

“The plan is to stay. I'd never turn my back on a club where I've grown, loved and supported.

“I want to go into pre-season for Leicester to start fighting for us to get back to the Premier League where we deserve to be.

“What I can say is I’m fully dedicated to Leicester and always will be while I’m there.” Even he seemed unsure about who’d he be reporting to when he returns from his summer break.

“Whatever happens with the management is up to the club to decide,” he said, rather diplomatically.

“All we can do as players is back the manager who is in charge. I’ve said before about the gaffer that he didn’t give up on us even when we were relegated. We all tried every week. As manager, we’ll fight for him so let’s see what happens in the future.” 

Regardless of whether Van Nistelrooy and Barry-Murphy are retained, he’s thankful for the benefits accrued from his first real string of top-flight games.

“There’s a lot of senior players at Leicester and I respect that,” he outlined about the difficulty of snaffling a spot.

“Being home-grown, sometimes it easy to overlook players like myself but I never stopped fighting. I’ve kept banging down the door to get in the team.

“I got in the team, got my first Premier League goal (against Ipswich Town) and a few good results. It wasn’t enough because we were already relegated but I can personally look back with a lot of pride.” 

Next year marks a decade since Leicester shocked the world by usurping the established order to win the Premier League but the atmosphere has changed with fans turning on the Thai owners.

He said about the latter stages of the season: “It’s not nice playing in a stadium when there’s a lot of animosity and boos. Leicester fans paid their hard-earned money, watching us weekly home and away, but for myself it’s about taking it and learning.

“I didn’t play every game in the Premier League so I don’t take it as personal.” McAteer augmented that flourish with a splash on the international circuit.

Timing is everything and producing the man-of-the-match performance in the penultimate friendly ahead of the World Cup qualifiers heightens his profile.

The Icelander does have Mikey Johnston and the injured Chiedozie Ogbene to return for the opening double-header at home to Hungary and Armenia away but they won’t be around either for Tuesday’s visit to Luxembourg.

“The manager said in the dressing room afterwards that I've created a bit of a stir,” he revealed about the impact of schooling the slick Senegalese for large spells.

“That’s what I wanted coming in. You want your name being thrown about in conversations around team selections – it was about creating a ruffle.

“Before the World Cup qualifiers, Luxembourg are up first and we won’t take them lightly.

“There’s quality players competing for the position but I know the qualities that I have too. I need to believe in myself and whatever will be, will be.

“Sometimes in this game, it can be everyone for themselves but I’m sure whatever happens the squad will be strong.”