Pádraig Amond: Ireland’s Calling
Opportunity in elite level sport does not always fall to the most talented. Becoming ‘noticed’ might depend on performing at the right moment, in front of the right people or having good fortune along the way.
FA Cup top scorer Pádraig Amond has taken the road less travelled amongst those in the conversation for selection to the Irish national team, however based on his recent form the former U21 International has surely caught the attention of Mick McCarthy.
Amond has netted 21 times this season for Newport County in all competitions (3 goals more than any other Irish player), and notched up 8 assists. (See below)
Granted the standard in League Two might be lower, but the fundamental art of goal scoring is not much different in the leagues above. Amond has managed to score against the very best, including Man City, Leicester, Middlesbrough and Spurs (in last year’s FA Cup). What other Irish player is doing that?
In 2016, Amond amassed 31 goals in a single season for Grimsby, the last Irishman playing in England to score over 30 goals in a season before this was Jimmy Dunne with 41 goals for Sheffield Utd in 1932!
It’s almost apparent from watching him play that Amond is currently in the process of obtaining his coaching badges. He has a great work ethic on the field, when out of possession he’s constantly covering ground and condensing space to make play predictable, acting as the first line of defence.
Throughout his career Amond has played against some of the biggest names in the game facing opponents such as James Rodriguez, Hulk, Falcao and Ronaldo. However when it comes to making the Irish team, perhaps the most important condition is recent form.
Ahead of Ireland’s clash with Gibraltar later this month, Amond is in beast mode finding the net 10 times in his last 15 games. Aside from Preston’s Alan Browne, no other Irish attacking option has recently staked a claim quite as impressive as Pádraig Amond for a call up to the national squad. Pick up the phone Mick!
By Ciarán Cunningham, 04/03/2019