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Football

11th Oct 2015

Martin O’Neill explains Wes Hoolahan’s omission

Big call from the gaffer

Robert Redmond

So this is why Wes starts on the bench.

Martin O’Neill made five changes to the Republic of Ireland team to play Poland, and Wes Hoolahan isn’t among the starting XI.

The decision didn’t go down well with some Irish fans, or Eamon Dunphy, but the Ireland manager explained before the game that Hoolahan didn’t feel fit enough to start.

“Wes wasn’t able to start the game,” O’Neill said to RTE reporter Tony O’Donoghue. “He came himself to me and said that he’s feeling really, really sore.”

Hoolahan was carrying a heel injury in the build up to the Germany game, and O’Neill said he’s looking to freshen up his team.

The decision didn’t go down well at all with RTE pundit Eamon Dunphy, who called Hoolahan’s omission “stupid and shocking”.

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