And another from RTE

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RT? Sport?s Tony O?Donoghue was impressed with goalscorer Wes Hoolahan and recall?s the Norwich midfielder?s first involvement with the Irish squad five years ago.

O?Donoghue said: ?Five years ago Wes Hoolahan was twenty-five when he was called into Trapattoni?s first training camp in Portugal.

?He came on as a sub in a practice match, was unused against Serbia in Croke Park and was a second-half replacement against Colombia at Craven Cottage. He clearly didn?t make a strong enough impression on the manager to capture a place in his heart.

?Since then the former Shelbourne playmaker missed out on a World Cup campaign that ended at the hands of the French, a European Championships in Poland where Ireland were outclassed and a German humiliation in Dublin. Maybe he was better off.

?Last night, the Norwich City midfielder scored his first goal for his country in only his third appearance but more importantly he got on the ball and made things happen.

?Trapattoni spoke of renewal before the game against Poland. Afterwards he was big enough to suggest he might have been wrong about Hoolahan.

?A renewal of faith in creativity, or fantasy as Trap calls it, might be the most important thing the Italian could do in his time left in charge of Ireland.

?At the World Cup finals in Brazil Wes Hoolahan will be thirty-two. Giovanni Trapattoni will be seventy-five. Age should be no barrier where class is concerned.?

Posted By: col canary, Feb 7, 12:54:59