Six weeks, friends.
Six weeks and the entire country will be struck down with Euros fever.
Martin O’Neill’s squad for this summer’s action in France is taking shape and, hopefully, there will be no more injuries to worry about in the final few weeks ahead of the official squad announcement at the end of May.
One of the men who is certain to be taking his seat on a comfy jet will be Derby’s Jeff Hendrick.
The Dubliner has been one of the most impressive performers under Martin O’Neill, and was crucial to our late season surge to this summer’s European Championships.
We may be a while away yet from our opening game against Sweden on June 13th, but Hendrick, speaking to the Irish Post, has revealed how Martin O’Neill is prepping his players.
The 24-year-old has spoken of how, ahead of the Championships, Irish players will receive a lengthy email that will contain a twenty-minute video detailing various aspects of Ireland’s upcoming opponents.
The video goes into detail about the strengths and weaknesses of Belgium, Sweden and Italy, and the midfielder admits the research always has a strong impact.
Hendrick also revealed that O’Neill’s man-management is a key to the close bond in the group.
The Ireland squad has changed quite significantly since the Giovanni Trappatoni era and Hendrick feels the Derryman’s personality has been a welcome change. It contrasts sharply with the Italian’s strict regime, which the Derby man got a taste of in 2013.
“We go to the cinema, chill out, in the build-up to games. He leaves that to us. Then, when it comes to the games, he says his bit beforehand and makes you feel good about yourself.
“Before the game, he goes around and talks to people individually and says a bit in front of the whole group. He builds you up, makes you feel good and that is what you need. He gives you confidence.”
The 24-year-old’s football dreams took precedence over his Gaelic football career, which was also a possible avenue for the young footballer who grew up playing with St Kevin’s Boys.
If things had been different, perhaps Hendrick could now be playing Gaelic football with Jim Gavin’s Dublin senior side.
But it’s not something that he ever really considered, even if he had the talent for it.
“I was with Dublin for a year or two but it used to clash with football and they’d go mad when I wouldn’t show up to games. I only played Gaelic with the school just to get out of class really. It’s a good sport but I remember my teacher wanted me to give up soccer for Gaelic. He said I was good enough to play for Dublin but there was no chance of me doing that. It was always going to be football [soccer] for me.”
