FORMER Ireland skipper Matt Holland says Jack Grealish should be a certain starter if he declares for the Republic.
However, the World Cup 2002 goalscorer rates the chances of seeing the talented Aston Villa midfielder in a green jersey at senior level as “50-50” and says only Grealish can decide on his international future. Republic manager Martin O’Neill has made repeated overtures to the Birmingham-born Republic U21 cap, but he could be lured away by the chance to play for England.
“He’s got two countries fighting for him, perhaps I can understand that,” said Holland, who won 49 caps and also qualified by having an Irish grandparent.
“He’s taking advice from a lot of people who know the game, maybe he’s within his rights to take his time in making that decision. Personally, I went with the gut, I had absolutely no hesitation. Straight away when Mick [McCarthy] phoned me and said ‘do you want to play for Ireland?’, I said ‘yes’.”
Holland is also concerned that, in recent campaigns, the Republic have opted for hard-working midfielders over talented ball-players.
“It depends on what system Martin wants to play, how he wants to play and who he wants to play it,” said Holland, who spoke highly of Harry Arter, the Bournemouth midfielder who made his Ireland debut in the friendly against England in June.
“We’ve had players with ability who have found themselves on the sidelines at times because there hasn’t been a role in the team for them. Wes Hoolahan now, for instance. He’s one who you think – with his ability and quality – you’d get him in the team somewhere. But you can’t play him wide in ‘a four’ because he hasn’t got that natural athleticism to get up and down. Andy Reid would be the same.
“Grealish is such a talent that you’d try and get him in. We’ve seen enough in his time at Aston Villa, and in big games as well, to say that he could come into this set-up and make a difference. He was outstanding in the FA Cup semi-final. In the big games, he’s shown that he can do it at that level.
“I’d say, particularly at international level, it’s easier to keep a clean sheet than score plenty of goals. If you’re looking for someone to unlock a defence, someone to do something special to win a game, then he’s got that.”
Grealish was Aston Villa’s Young Player of the Year last season and played a pivotal role in the club reaching the FA Cup final. His availability would be a massive boost to a Republic squad that is still clinging to an increasingly distant hope of making it to next summer’s Euro 2016 finals in France, with Georgia and Germany in Dublin and Gibraltar and Poland away the only games left.
“We still have three tough games,” said Holland.
“It would have been nice to have beaten Scotland because they have that point advantage and the advantage of beating us and getting a draw here.
“Germany, you expect are going to get better, it was a slow start to them in the group on the back of the World Cup. They’ve had a break this summer and you’d expect their qualifying campaign to ignite.”