Aaron Connolly during a Republic of Ireland training session at the FAI National Training Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

MICK McCarthy has insisted it wouldn’t be a gamble to hand teenage hot-shot Aaron Connolly an international debut against Georgia this weekend.

The Galwegian was drafted into the Irish squad for the Euro 2020 qualifying double-header against Georgia and Switzerland following his sensational two-goal salvo for Brighton against Spurs on Saturday.

And, although the Ireland boss is willing to wait until the boarding gates are closing to allow recuperating Sheffield United striker David McGoldrick to link up with his squad, he would have no qualms about pitching Connolly into the Tbilisi furnace.

Asked would it be a gamble to imitate Graham Potter’s instinctive selection against Spurs, McCarthy's response was qualified.

"It depends who I got fit," he said, before adding more affirmatively, "Not at all, no.

"I wouldn’t have put him in the squad if I felt he couldn’t do a job. I said before if someone gets in the Premier League first team and starts scoring goals, they can have a chance.

"This was all on the back of Troy Parrott and Aaron being in the U21s and doing well. But I said then if they are playing in the Premier League, he has a chance. And now Aaron has done that so he has."

Connolly was the first Irish teenager to score a Premier League brace since Robbie Keane – and the Ireland assistant coach was at the Amex Stadium to witness the wunderkind’s wonder double

"Robbie texted me and said he scored twice and played well," reported McCarthy at the Irish squad’s Abbottstown training base.

"He’s very quick, direct and happy to take people on. His movement is good, his hold-up play is good and he is aggressive. He plays with personality.

"It looks like he’s enjoying it, thriving in it. He puts it up to the opposition. That’s what it means to play with personality. You know he’s on the pitch. Like a James McClean.

"He’s an option on the left. We don’t play in straight lines, you need to go right or left. He was excellent. His second goal was excellent but I admired his first goal too.

"First he had that really clever movement across the defender but then he didn’t give the game up, he spun from the deflection and was alive to the chance.

"I judge the fact that I might pick him on his football personality. He came in late last night, shook hands with him and welcomed him so I haven’t really seen much of him.

"People talk about potential. I’ll watch him in training, get to meet him and if I see him in one or two of these games, I can maybe judge him then. He looks like he has a really good potential.

"I saw him against Armenia, he has personality on the field and he plays with that. So when he came in against Spurs, I wasn’t surprised by it, I was pleased by it.

"Someone has to give him a chance and Graham Potter did. Terry Connor went to see him in the same week he saw Troy Parrott in the League Cup but Aaron caught his eye a bit more.

"I’ve said all along, if they can get into a Premier League team, they can have a better chance with us. Other players were in front of him but now he’s put himself in contention.

"Scott Hogan was slipping out of contention but then he comes in and scores. Aaron comes in on a high after the weekend and that gives him some confidence."

John Egan, who is likely to partner Kevin Long in defence should Shane Duffy also fail to prove his fitness, feels Connolly can make another giant leap in his football career.

"It was class for him. A few of us were watching it on the bus and he’d already scored by the time we got to the stadium.

"Hopefully, he has a big future for club or country. He’s always been highly-rated and I’m looking forward to seeing him in training.

"He’s still only starting out, it’s a lot to handle quite young but he seems like a lad who can handle it. He can only take confidence and I’m sure he’ll be buzzing in training this week."

Online Editors