Hallgrimsson admits Doherty wasn’t happy with Ireland exclusion
Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has claimed that Matt Doherty, who has been left out of the Ireland squad, wasn’t happy with the decision.
Hallgrimsson announced his Ireland squad for the Finland and Greece games this week, with a much-changed selection compared to the one that lost to both Greece and England last month.
The likes of Jake O’Brien and Doherty have been left out, while Luton Town centre-back Mark McGuinness receives his first call-up to the senior squad following his impressive form this season. Middlesbrough’s Finn Azaz and Ipswich’s Jack Taylor are also back in the Irish squad.
Doherty came under serious criticism for his performance in the England game in Dublin last month, and some pundits, without naming him directly, questioned whether some players were good enough to play for Ireland.
Hallgrimsson explained that he spoke to the “unhappy” Doherty on the phone and told him that it was due to testing out newer players, and that his exclusion wasn’t a permanent omission.
“I called Matt (on Wednesday),” said Hallgrimsson via the Irish Mirror
“Obviously, he deserves that. He was not happy; of course, he wants to play every game for Ireland.
“But I just assured him that it’s not like we are leaving him out; we’re just testing other players.
“Because of his experience, [we decided] not to bring him in just to have him on the bench. It’s better to give him this camp off.”
