Banter alert
Jonathan Walters was an unlikely star of transfer deadline day with his tweet aimed at killing speculation linking him with a move away from Stoke City and trolling Manchester United at the same time.
Helicopter away for the year 🚁 sorry LVG it's not happening 😳
— Jonathan Walters (@JonWalters19) September 1, 2015
The Stoke attacker has been linked with various clubs but in the end decided life at the Britannia was more fun than trying somewhere new.
He joined the Irish squad today as Martin O’Neill’s outfit step-up their preparations for Friday’s Euro 2016 qualifier clash with Gibralter and Stephen Quinn revealed that Walters is getting plenty of stick from his teammates
“There’s a bit of banter floating around alright ‘cos his heatmap around England yesterday must have been everywhere’.
“It’s a bit of craic and Johnny’s a top lad so his mind will be back on the game but he’ll be ready for the weekend.”
Stephen Quinn, Marc Wilson & Roy Keane speaking to media at FAI National Training Centre pic.twitter.com/l3KW6kF71b
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) September 2, 2015
The Reading man is adjusting to life at a new club along with Paul McShane after leaving Hull during the summer.
The Dubliner has played all of the Championship side’s first seven games, and he admits that he’s enjoying his career more than his final days at Hull.
He admits that manager Steve Clarke was a big influence in his decision to move clubs,
“He spoke of his ambition and what the club want to do and obviously he’s a football man and likes to play the style of football I like so that kinda convinced me straight away and I was happy to make the move down south.”
“The game time is always good. In my last year at Hull I was in and out but it was up and down period. I like to be playing games and Iif I’m not playing games I get pretty grumpy so to start the first seven games was good.”
Quinn is hoping he can make an impression this weekend with Martin O’Neill likely to give a number of his squad game time between Gibralter an Georgia games.
The Dubliner knows that getting a positive result on Friday will be important before hosting Georgia at the Aviva on Monday
“It’s a bit of a tricky one but of course I think we have to go out there and get some goals early and go and enjoy it really and get some confidence throughout the squad and pas the ball and get early goals and get the confidence up for the Georgia game on Monday.”
“They are new to international football and we are full on favouites to win the game and we should do and hopefully we get a lot of goals going to get confidence through the squad.”
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