Is Jamie Carragher a closet Ireland fan?
The former Liverpool defender has selected the second Republic of Ireland international in as many weeks as his “man of the week.”
A fortnight ago, Carragher singled out Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot for the honour and, this week, Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter got the nod.
Writing in his Daily Mail column, Carragher admits that he was impressed by Arter’s performance against Liverpool in the Capital One Cup midweek and claimed that the 25-year-old’s comeback from injury will be vital for the Cherries if they are to avoid relegation in their first season as a Premier League side.
“The return of Arter after a long-term ankle injury was a big plus and he did well in midfield, never afraid to put in a tackle or use the ball intelligently. He showed at Anfield in the 71 minutes he was on the pitch why he has been missed this season.”
Bournemouth have been ravaged with injuries since their promotion from the Championship with key men Callum Wilsom, Tyrone Mings and Max Gradel all being ruled out for the foreseeable future.
But Carragher believes that Arter, who has one Ireland cap to his name, will be able offer a massive boost to manager Eddie Howe now that he is fighting fit.
“Seeing Arter in midfield will have reassured Howe, as having a midfield axis of the 25-year-old and Andrew Surman is good enough to compete in the Barclays Premier League.
“Arter, who scored nine goals and contributed three assists in Bournemouth’s promotion campaign, will be like a new signing.
“He will relish the occasion on Sunday at St Mary’s for the crucial derby against Southampton and Howe will relish selecting him once more.”
