The new kid on the block.
Normally, the main story from the latest Ireland squad, for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Portugal and Hungary, would have been Evan Ferguson making the cut after being a serious doubt.
But it is MLS man Kevin O’Toole who has dominated the headlines with his rather shocking inclusion, after not being on the radar for most fans.
However, Boys in Green manager Heimir Hallgrimsson explained that they have been monitoring the left-back for a year and that he had just got his clearance.
Who is Kevin O’Toole?
The 26-year-old O’Toole is a New Jersey man, who qualifies to play for Ireland through his Dublin-born grandad.
He played for the Princeton Tigers while attending University there and was selected by his current club, New York City FC, with the 34th pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, after being part of the New York Red Bulls academy.
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In his second game for New York he won the 2022 Campeones Cup, defeating Mexican side Atlas in the final.
New York are currently playing Charlotte FC in the first round of the MLS play-offs in a best-of-three, with the score at one a piece ahead of the decider on Saturday, November 8.
On facing Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi in the MLS, O’Toole said: “It was surreal playing against Messi. It was during a friendly so it was good to get the jitters out the way, and the excitement of playing against someone who has achieved so much in a non-competitive match.
“I’ll be reflecting on it for a while. It was such a big accomplishment to share the field with him. The fact the game didn’t have meaning, in the sense it wasn’t going to influence our season, meant I was able to appreciate the moment a lot more. We play Inter Miami again in a few weeks so I expect it’ll be easier to get into the zone.”
Back in the winter of 2023, he visited Ireland for the first time since he was three years old, with his father Eric.
He also expressed a wish to represent Ireland, saying: “I hadn’t been to Ireland since my grandfather died. It was lovely to reconnect with my family’s heritage. If any team, the US or Ireland, gave me the opportunity to play with them on an international level, I would jump at it.
“I want to test myself at that level. It’d be so cool to wear a shirt for a country my family is from or where I was born. I wouldn’t necessarily commit to one or the other because the US and Ireland both mean so much to me.”
O’Toole’s sister is also a successful footballer, playing for Limerick side Treaty United, who are currently eighth in the League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division.
In terms of getting game time for Ireland in the upcoming window, there is a decent chance he will take to the field at some points, given the injury to Ryan Manning.
