'He will be really proud' - John Patrick Finn fulfills late dad's wish for him to play for Ireland

Heimir Hallgrimsson recently made a two-hour drive to meet Finn to ascertain his international commitment. The player insisted Ireland was the only country for him

PROUD MOMENT: John Joe Patrick Finn after making his Ireland debut. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile.

“I prefer to be called John,” says Ireland’s latest debutant, whose full name is John Joe Patrick Finn Benoa.

He’s 21 but various versions of his name have formed part of the Irish football discourse since before he reached 10.