It’s not bittersweet for Jeff Hendrick.
He doesn’t take any pleasure from his form. The two games without a victory in Euro 2016 aren’t cushioned with pats on the back or any sort of personal pride he might feel from doing his own job and doing it well.
Jeff Hendrick is having a super Euro 2016. Ireland are not. Unfortunately for a footballer, the latter supersedes the former once the final whistle is blown and, whilst the Derby man might well be playing some of the best ball of his career and endearing himself to the nation, it’s not exactly something he can take stock of and enjoy.
Throughout Saturday’s humbling 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Belgians, Jeff Hendrick was a flicker of glorious light in a very darkened room. He led the front six – one that consisted of five Premier League players last season – through a challenge that most of them seemed too nervous to even confront.
He led a team – of which only Ciaran Clark and Darren Randolph have less caps – into their biggest battle yet but they didn’t follow him. They should now.
Where teammates were hiding behind their markers against Belgium, it was the Championship player who was demanding the ball. Where others – most of them – were hitting the thing as rushed and directionless as possible, it was the Dubliner who was looking for white jerseys, looking for dangerous passes and it was Hendrick who was taking off and going for the return again.
At times in the first half, it seemed like he was fighting with 11 Belgians all on his own. No-one was offering support, no-one was even offering lip service until Robbie Brady started following his former St. Kevin’s teammate’s lead. The Irish came out at an electric Stade de Bordeaux and, faced with the second highest ranked team in the world, they retreated into a shell.
Jeff Hendrick didn’t. Jeff Hendrick played above himself. He wouldn’t shrink on the big occasion and he sure as hell wouldn’t give anything less than his best for the Ireland jersey. That’s what we’ve seen throughout this incredible 180 minutes of his in France.
If only the rest could replicate it.
“I’m just trying to go out and play as well as I can for my country,” the midfielder spoke with SportsJOE after the game. “That’s what I always try to do, it’s what I always will do – to get on the ball and try to make things happen.
“Obviously I’m going to work hard no matter what but I can do better. I look at the games – the Sweden game, today – I’ll look back and try to pick out things I can do better with and hopefully improve.”
There’s not been much to it really. He’s playing for Ireland and he’s playing without inhibitions. For Hendrick, that’s a potent combination.
The Belgium game isn’t going to be an easy one to swallow though and the Derby County star – suddenly a new leader of the international pack – wants the side to hang onto the ball much better the next day out.
“We knew it’d be a tough game [against Belgium], that showed in the first half,” he said. “We weathered the storm a little bit and we got out in the second half and we started to string a few passes together and we’re on the attack. Then for them to break and score, it’s hard to take.
“At half time we were told to keep the ball a little bit better because, when we had worked so hard to get it back, we needed a few passes to then just settle the game a little bit and we didn’t really do that in the first half. In the second half, we tried to do it and it was working so for them to get the goal, it hurt us.”
As Hendrick left to board the bus, he was stopped by two Belgian journalists with just one topic in mind. What happened in the second half when he kicked a second ball towards the play?
Two balls were on the field at the same time and the Irishman booted one in the direction of Ireland’s right back position. He picked up a yellow card for his troubles.
Hendrick's booking should be null and void as there was a second ball on the pitch#IRLBEL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 18, 2016
He didn’t seem too keen to chat about it, especially when they suggested that he should’ve kicked it out of play. “That’s what I tried to do,” he responded and walked on.
Whilst the Irish fans might be, the football team is not here to make friends. You could see that during the game. You could see it when none of the players paid one bit of attention to Dembele’s body being strewn across the turf – they simply played on, chased the lead, they cared only for themselves.
You could see it in Hendrick’s eyes as he thought about the rest of the tournament. This isn’t about being nice. It’s about winning football matches – something we haven’t managed yet.
“We have nothing to lose now. We know we have to get a win.,” he told us, looking ahead to the last group game against Italy on Wednesday.
“I know we went 3-0 down but, at times, we kept the ball well and that’s what we’ve got to do for 90 minutes against Italy. We’ve got to keep the ball. It is hard work when you play against countries who keep the ball, it tires you out. We’ve got to try and do that to other teams.”
The result in Bordeaux meant that Italy have topped the group and the final round of games will do nothing to affect that. That’s a good thing, right? An Italy team with nothing to play for, an Ireland side with everything on the line.
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen an Italy team that takes the foot off the gas in a tournament,” Hendrick said. “It’s going to be tough. People are saying they might rest players but it doesn’t matter who they rest, they’ve got great players who can come into the side and who will work hard to try and impress the manager to get a start. It’s going to be difficult no matter what so we’ve got to make sure we’re ready.”
If the last two games are anything to go by, one thing is for sure: Jeff Hendrick will be ready.
