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Published 23:51 14 Nov 2017 GMT
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And, yet, in 12 games in this World Cup campaign, he's featured in just six of them and he's actually been left out for 66 per cent of the football that Ireland has played.0 minutes: Serbia 2-2 Ireland 0 minutes: Ireland 1-0 Georgia 86 minutes: Moldova 1-3 Ireland 78 minutes: Austria 0-1 Ireland 0 minutes: Ireland 0-0 Wales 20 minutes: Ireland 1-1 Austria 0 minutes: Georgia 1-1 Ireland 61 minutes: Ireland 0-1 Serbia 79 minutes: Ireland 2-0 Moldova 0 minutes: Wales 0-1 Ireland 0 minutes: Denmark 0-0 Ireland 45 minutes: Ireland 1-5 Denmark
Wes Hoolahan has played 369 minutes of a possible 1080.He's only started four games - three of them they won, although two of those were against Moldova. He's ageing and he's not playing every week for Norwich but he's still by far and away the best man Ireland have to unlock backlines and to actually do something on the ball. That's why, when shit hits the fan, O'Neill still calls on him. But that is why it's strange that he doesn't call on him more often. Wes Hoolahan isn't superman and, no, say it again, he's not Zidane, but, at the age of 35, he's still Ireland's most exciting and most reliable option going forward. This country might not have good 18 to 21-year-olds obviously making a breakthrough on the big stage already but why does that even matter? When do they really have those outside of that deviant generation? What they do have is a batch of finished articles - however they got there - and that is far more important than having potential. The only reason you want those good youngsters in the pipeline is so they can shine when they hit their prime. If you constantly invested in youth, you'd never appreciate the players you have at their peak and there'd be no point in investing in youth if you're not doing it to reap the rewards. Hoolahan might be past his prime but, relatively, he can do a job that no-one else in the Irish squad can. You invest in youth to produce players like Wes - if you're lucky enough - and, whatever number is beside his name, we still have him right now. Still delivering. Still the best. Whatever age he is.
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