“Yeah, it’s great news and at long last the long wait is over. It will be good to work under a new man and a new regime”. That was the comment of Stephen Hunt when I spoke with him on Wednesday last.
The Clonea-Power man hailed the appointment of Giovanni Trapattoni but then made it clear that he hopes the new Republic of Ireland will give him a starting-place in the first team he picks, and perhaps he may also take a look at his brother Noel who has been banging in goals all season for Dundee United.
“It’s a big thing for me to actually start a match for Ireland. I have been playing non-stop in the Premier League for 15 months and I hope the new manager will look at that. Don’t get me wrong. I love playing for my country because it’s very special to wear the green shirt but I don’t want to get a ‘super sub’ tag.
“I suppose it is up to me now to make Mr Trapattoni sit up and take notice, and the people he will have working with him, like Marco Tardelli. The appointment has made the long wait worthwhile. A lot of the lads in the team were getting sick and tired of waiting to see who the new manager would be. It was getting on our nerves but you have the give the FAI credit for getting a man like Mr Trapattoni.
“In some ways I feel sorry for Terry Venables, but at the end of the day the FAI got the person they feel is best equipped for the position. His record is brilliant. Seven Serie A titles and many more league titles in other countries speaks for itself. The new manager will have to familarise himself with the boys in the squad so it will definitely be a fresh start for us all”.
World Cup and survival
Stephen is a young man with the world at his feet and he fondly remembers the appearances of Ireland in the World Cup finals of 1994 and 2002. “I remember Ray Houghton scoring against Italy in 1994 but it is the 2002 finals I remember more. It would mean everything to me to play in the World Cup finals in South Africa because of where I’ve come from and the manner in which my career has worked out.
“The lads at Reading (Shane Long and Kevin Doyle) feel the same. Yes it’s now done and dusted and we will all be looking forward to meeting up with the new manager in a few months time”.
When asked about Reading’s rather patchy form of late (they dropped into the bottom three last week) Stephen was upbeat about the Royals’ chances of remaining in the Premiership. “Despite our recent results we have been playing reasonably well and the spirit in the club is good. We have been unlucky not to get results during January and February and I believe if we get a win under our belts we will go on a decent run and pull away from the wrong end of the table.
“The manager (Steve Coppell) knows we have a lot of work to do during the coming months as do all of the players but we are prepared to buckle down and get on a winning run”, said Stephen. Before I wished him well for the future I asked him if he thought that Noel might force himself into the plans of Signor Trapattoni.
“I really hope so because he has been scoring goals all season for Dundee United in the SPL. That league is just as strong if not stronger than the Championship in England. Noel is working very hard at his game and his goal record this season speaks for itself. Hopefully he will come to the attention of the new regime,” his older brother added.
‘Hunty’ hoping to get
trapped by Giovanni
By Matt Keane
“Yeah, it’s great news and at long last the long wait is over. It will be good to work under a new man and a new regime”. That was the comment of Stephen Hunt when I spoke with him on Wednesday last.
The Clonea-Power man hailed the appointment of Giovanni Trapattoni but then made it clear that he hopes the new Republic of Ireland will give him a starting-place in the first team he picks, and perhaps he may also take a look at his brother Noel who has been banging in goals all season for Dundee United.
“It’s a big thing for me to actually start a match for Ireland. I have been playing non-stop in the Premier League for 15 months and I hope the new manager will look at that. Don’t get me wrong. I love playing for my country because it’s very special to wear the green shirt but I don’t want to get a ‘super sub’ tag.
“I suppose it is up to me now to make Mr Trapattoni sit up and take notice, and the people he will have working with him, like Marco Tardelli. The appointment has made the long wait worthwhile. A lot of the lads in the team were getting sick and tired of waiting to see who the new manager would be. It was getting on our nerves but you have the give the FAI credit for getting a man like Mr Trapattoni.
“In some ways I feel sorry for Terry Venables, but at the end of the day the FAI got the person they feel is best equipped for the position. His record is brilliant. Seven Serie A titles and many more league titles in other countries speaks for itself. The new manager will have to familarise himself with the boys in the squad so it will definitely be a fresh start for us all”.
World Cup and survival
Stephen is a young man with the world at his feet and he fondly remembers the appearances of Ireland in the World Cup finals of 1994 and 2002. “I remember Ray Houghton scoring against Italy in 1994 but it is the 2002 finals I remember more. It would mean everything to me to play in the World Cup finals in South Africa because of where I’ve come from and the manner in which my career has worked out.
“The lads at Reading (Shane Long and Kevin Doyle) feel the same. Yes it’s now done and dusted and we will all be looking forward to meeting up with the new manager in a few months time”.
When asked about Reading’s rather patchy form of late (they dropped into the bottom three last week) Stephen was upbeat about the Royals’ chances of remaining in the Premiership. “Despite our recent results we have been playing reasonably well and the spirit in the club is good. We have been unlucky not to get results during January and February and I believe if we get a win under our belts we will go on a decent run and pull away from the wrong end of the table.
“The manager (Steve Coppell) knows we have a lot of work to do during the coming months as do all of the players but we are prepared to buckle down and get on a winning run”, said Stephen. Before I wished him well for the future I asked him if he thought that Noel might force himself into the plans of Signor Trapattoni.
“I really hope so because he has been scoring goals all season for Dundee United in the SPL. That league is just as strong if not stronger than the Championship in England. Noel is working very hard at his game and his goal record this season speaks for itself. Hopefully he will come to the attention of the new regime,” his older brother added.
