There’s loads left in the tank, so why wouldn’t Wes Hoolahan stay playing at the highest standard of football that he possibly can?
He may be 35 but he’s a young 35-year-old.
Hoolahan will be ever-young to Irish eyes anyway, with his wistful smile after that famous goal against Sweeden in the Euro’s the first thing that springs to mind when our country’s most aesthetically pleasing artist is mentioned.
In a world where a bright and smiling face is most often associated with happiness and youth, the Dubliner who nearly always seems to have a smile on his face when he has the ball at his feet was never going to escape that generalisation.
But apart from our own wishful thinking, our hopeful speculation that Wesso’s inspiring body language would keep him there, he actually is young for a 35-year-old, in footballing terms anyway.
We’re all well aware that Hoolahan was safeguarded from burnout via international football. For God’s sake it’s one of this country’s great shames that our most talented schemer would only earn 43 caps for the Republic of Ireland. It wasn’t until he was 25 that his talent was finally spotted and he would make his international bow, and even then it wasn’t fully appreciated.
But there are some reasons behind his delayed introduction to the international scene. He even admitted himself that the early days of his career weren’t as hectic as others with the same levels of talent as him would have been.
The former Shelbourne player only made his move to England when he was 24. When he should have been in his prime in and around the 2009/2010 season, Hoolahan was playing in League One and he wasn’t even being played in his best position.
His retirement from international football in February of this year was a sad moment for all Irish football eyes as we had all convinced ourselves that there was so much more to come from the only man we had who could baffle opposition defenders with his dazzling feet or with a threaded through ball.
There is so much left to come.
He may have retired but he was still playing some great football at that time, and he’s still well capable of it now.
Neil O’Riordan of SunSport reported on Tuesday morning that Hoolahan would not be moving back to the League of Ireland this year, that his most likely move will instead be to stay in the Championship, with Birmingham in hot pursuit.
He has the ability to play at that standard, and while as much as we would like to believe that the League of Ireland isn’t far off it, the reality is that the Championship is of a much higher level – a level that Wes Hoolahan is well able for.
