There was a surprise inclusion in the latest Republic of Ireland squad ahead of the June friendlies, with Shamrock Rovers star Josh Honohan called up for the first time.
The defender has made 67 appearances for the Hoops since arriving in January 2024 after a three-and-a-half-year spell with Cork City.
His form has helped Shamrock Rovers to the top of the Premier Division table.
Positional Change Brings Shamrock Rovers Star Into Irish Manager’s Thoughts
The 24-year-old is a defender by trade, but played the majority of the early stages of his career in a central role at Cork City and then Rovers.
However, towards the end of the 2024 campaign, with the Hoops fighting for the title, Stephen Bradley deployed Honohan in a left-sided role, and the player has thrived ever since.
The player started all eight UEFA Conference League matches in the team’s record-breaking European run, scoring in the win over Larne and providing an assist in the impressive 1-1 draw with Rapid Vienna.
His willingness to get forward and ability in attacking areas may help the Shamrock Rovers player get minutes in the upcoming friendlies against Senegal and Luxembourg.
The player has two goals and the same number of assists, a career best tally, after just 12 Premier Division outings.
Honohan’s 12 successful dribbles place him in the top two of all defenders in the Irish top-flight, and the defender has only been dribbled past on a couple of occasions this term, with a total of 19 successful tackles completed.
He put in a man-of-the-match display in the recent 3-1 win over Waterford. This performance highlighted the significant improvement the player has made since moving into a left-back / wing-back role.
The former Cork City man produced two shots on target, completed four tackles, won seven of his eleven ground duels and provided an assist for Graham Burke’s late goal, which finished the match as a contest.
If there is a player who has looked capable of being a Republic of Ireland international this season, Honohan would be at the top of that list.
Honohan’s Chance of Making International Debut
There may be changes to the Ireland squad ahead of the June friendlies, but it should be assumed that the Shamrock Rovers man will be competing with Ryan Manning and Robbie Brady for minutes on the pitch.
Matt Doherty is capable of playing in that role, but the injury suffered by Seamus Coleman for Everton may see the Wolves defender stay at right-back.
Brady, who has a wealth of experience in the Irish team, is the first-choice having started in the win over Bulgaria in March.
The 33-year-old should retain his spot as first-choice but may be kept for competitive fixtures, and therefore, a level of rotation is to be expected.
Manning has made 18 starts for Southampton in their Premier League campaign and may be given the nod to start in at least one of the two friendly matches.
However, with Brady not in need of minutes and Manning unlikely to play a full ninety minutes in both matches, there does appear to be a real possibility that Honohan will represent the League of Ireland at international level.
It is a real boost for Premier Division players as it proves that the manager is taking notice of the ever-improving Irish top-flight.