“The ball was coming across, it was at a bad angle, and I knew I couldn’t take it down or didn’t have time to…”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHDpdyvPWAs
“So I just put it back into the area and John, on his 100th game, slotted the ball away. It was great.”
Jeff Hendrick has played just 13 games for Ireland but he’s already proven crucial.
The 23-year-old was directly responsible for two of the most important goals in the country’s qualifying campaign and, if the Republic were to make it to France in 2016, they will have a Derby County midfielder to thank.
He salvaged a poor ball into the box in injury time against Germany to set up the goal for a famous draw in the nation’s history.
And then he did that against Georgia in a must-win clash decided by one moment of brilliance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOAtMwfepeE
Afterwards, the players and the managers all shrugged their shoulders and more or less said, ‘yeah, that’s what Jeff does.’
But the Irish fans perhaps hadn’t seen that creative best of him until last month but he admits that he is finally settling in to life as an international footballer.
“I’m probably not as nervous,” Hendrick spoke ahead of the Germany game. “The first few trips, I was still getting to know the lads but each trip that I was called into the squad, I felt more comfortable on the pitch and off it.
“The first few times and debuts, you’re obviously a bit nervous and the adrenaline is running through and you get through the games that way. Now, you don’t really be nervous. You do a bit but it’s good, really. When I get on the ball, I’ve got to do something. I can’t just take the easy option every time.
“I’m feeling more confident in the team.”
He’s so confident, that he plays down that delicious move that carved open the Georgians at the Aviva.
“It was good. I was happy to help the team,” he understates. “That was a big game at the time but we’ve got an even bigger one on Thursday – we have two hard games coming up. Everyone knows that we’ve got to work hard and get ourselves right.”
His memories of the last German encounter are fond though.
“I set the goal up for John as well. It was great. All the lads worked hard. All the boys that started, they worked so hard to keep the game tight and close to just 1-0. We sort of limited their chances a bit and, to get on the pitch against them, I was really happy and to set up the goal too obviously.
“Being a midfielder, I love their midfielders and you know the class that they have,” Hendrick conceded. “But, when it comes to Thursday, I won’t admire them and I’ll get stuck into them. I’m not going to stand off them and admire them during the game.”
He has his own men in green to admire. A player who he is sure will be right for Thursday even if he is yet to train with the squad this week.
“Wes [Hoolahan] is a great player,” he said. “Anyone that has watched him closely over the years that he’s been in England they’ll see that he does a great job, he’s great on the ball, he gets us ticking really. Whenever he plays, he always gets space and he looks to make something happen. He’s a big player for us.”
