Homegrown Honohan eager to impress Hallgrimsson

Josh Honohan has certainly taken the path less travelled on his journey to receive a call-up to the Republic of Ireland senior squad.

The vast majority of Ireland internationals have had to leave the country to pursue professional football, however, the Shamrock Rovers defender has always plied his trade on the island.

Coming through the ranks at renowned Cork schoolboy side Carrigaline United, Honohan moved to the Cork City academy as a 16-year-old before making his breakthrough to the first team at the Turner's Cross club.

An impressive season in 2023 attracted the attention of Rovers and Honohan signed for the Hoops ahead of their 2024 campaign, going on to quickly establish himself in Stephen Bradley’s starting side and helping the club undertake a history-making European run, which ended in the knockout stages of the UEFA Conference League.

Comfortable in the centre or either side of the defence, Honohan has cemented his spot patrolling the left flank at Tallaght Stadium, and his consistent run of form, speed and strength brought him onto the radar of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson.

Honohan was eventually called into the current squad ahead of the upcoming doubleheader against Senegal and Luxembourg, and while it became known that the manager was a fan – he was in the provisional squad in March - he admits that it has just been a case of taking it one game at a time.

"It’s been really positive," said Honohan, speaking after his first training session with the squad on Monday. "I came into the camp yesterday, all of the lads and the staff have been really welcoming, training this morning went well.

"It’s a high standard, a lot of the lads are playing at a really high level. It was good to get in and be involved."

Josh Honohan training with the senior squad in Dublin

Honohan, of course, is not the first League of Ireland player to break into the senior squad in recent years; however, fellow Rovers players Jack Byrne and Graham Burke were over in England a long time before they made a breakthrough into the panel.

And with most players remaining in Ireland until they are 18, coupled with the ever-improving standard of the League of Ireland and corresponding academy football, there is every chance that Honohan, the exception, will eventually become the rule.

"I never went to the UK, I’ve always been in Ireland," said Honohan. "I played with Carrigaline United until I was 16 and I was lucky I had great coaching down there and then I went to Cork City, the academy.

"I was lucky enough to have brilliant managers and coaches to help me with that in the academy, and then I played with Cork and came to Shamrock Rovers last year, and the standards they set, the manager, and the rest of the staff there have improved me.

"The coaching I’ve had since I was young has always been at a really high level, I’ve never been to the UK, but I’ve never looked at it like it was a negative.

"You more just dream it [as a 16-year-old], and you just try to work as hard as you can, be disciplined and committed.

"It sounds really cliché but you just take one game at a time and try to do as well as you can and hope you get the opportunity."

Josh Honohan defending against Kasey McAteer

The League of Ireland’s mid-season break coincides with the June international window and while many players take the opportunity to enjoy some early summer sunshine ahead of the second half of the season, Honohan is more than happy to be camped out in west Dublin for the next week.

"I was planning on going away to Malaga to get a bit of sun but I’m not complaining, I’m delighted to be here," said Honohan.

"It’s dream come true to firstly be here and then over the next two games, hopefully I make an appearance, that would be a dream of mine. I’m not complaining. I’m delighted to be here.

"I do set small goals, but I don’t set massive long-term goals. But now that I am here, the aim is to do well in training, and if I can make an appearance, do as well as I can."

Honohan headed off on international duty off the back of a disappointing scoreless draw with Galway United last Friday night and was on the end of a scathing appraisal of his performance by Rovers manager Stephen Bradley.

The defender addressed and accepted the manager's criticism, but denied that he was distracted by the Ireland management team in attendance at the game.

"First, about the performance it was obviously disappointing," he said. "When you're involved with Shamrock Rovers, you want to get three points every game. Last Friday we didn’t get three points.

"About the manager’s comments, look the manager has been here for a good couple of years now and a massive reason the club has been so successful is that the manager has set the standard in the club. He does set high standards, he holds lads accountable and when you do come off that standard, like last Friday, he holds people accountable. And that’s the standard he has and that’s the standard I have for myself.

"The other night I didn’t have my best game. But I’m just focused now on the next game after that, trying to improve and getting back to that standard

"I didn’t know the manager or John O’Shea was in the stand. I just focus on Galway. Like I said, as a team, we had an off day, myself as an individual I had an off day, but I wouldn’t say that affected me at all."

Honohan is expected to be called into action sooner than later, in terms of initiation, and is prepping a country classic to belt out when summoned in front of the squad.

But it will be the manager that Honohan is attempting to impress this week when it comes to working his way onto the pitch over the coming two games, with places in the World Cup qualifying squad up for grabs.

"We just went over one or two things in training, showing clips of the way we play and little principles that we have, so it’s just trying to learn them as quickly as I can and trying to build a connection with the lads," said the 24-year-old.

"He wants us to be a good defensive team, a well-drilled team with a good shape, and you can see he is a top manager.

"He has managed some top international teams, and he has done really well with them, so you can definitely see why he has been successful as an international manager."

Watch Republic of Ireland v Senegal from 7pm Friday on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app.

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