He’s still a teenager but already Jack Byrne is being touted as the next great hope for the Republic of Ireland.
The young Dubliner, currently on loan at Eredivisie side SC Cambuur from Manchester City, had been making waves in City’s youth system for some time now and there are big things expected of him.
Patrick Vieira, Football Development Executive at City, has compared Byrne to Roy Keane while Niall Quinn has claimed that the 19-year-old is more like a young Paul Scholes.
And in an interview in the Sunday Independent this weekend, Byrne reveals which of the Manchester United legends he most resembles.
“They are a bit different,” Byrne said.
“One of them is mad and one of them is a bit quiet. It’s great.
“As a footballer I would be more inclined to be like Paul Scholes, that’s the way I play.”
Jack Byrne hasn’t yet been offered his senior international call-up but has played for the Republic of Ireland at U21 level, where he featured alongside a certain Jack Grealish and Byrne has revealed that the Aston Villa winger was right to take his time over such a huge decision as selecting a national side to declare for as Grealish recently opted to represent England at senior level
“I do think it could have been handled better,” Byrne said. “But at the same time I was not in that situation so I don’t know.
“I know Jack as a bloke, I was in squads with him and he is a lovely fella. I’m sure he has made the best decision for him and his family because he took a long time to think about it. I don’t think he rushed into it.”
