New Ireland call-up responds to Stephen Bradley's 'worst I've ever seen him' criticism
NEW IRELAND call-up Josh Honohan admits he did not have his best game against Galway on Friday after his manager, Stephen Bradley, criticised the performance.
The Shamrock Rovers boss was left unimpressed by the 24-year-old's display in the 0-0 draw with Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson and assistant John O'Shea watching on at Tallaght Stadium.
'He was awful. That's the worst I've seen Josh,' Bradley said after the game. 'That's the worst I've ever seen him. I've watched him for Cork [City], obviously before we signed him, we signed him here. That's the worst I've seen him. He was extremely poor.
'It's not nice, but he's been brilliant for us. He's obviously got his call-up, deserved it. He's doing great, well done, but he was a million miles off what he has been in every aspect, and it's not good enough.'
Honohan addressed the Hoops coach's comments when on Ireland media duty on Monday.
'The manager has been here for a good couple of years now, and a massive reason the club has been so successful is that the manager has set the standard in the club,' Honohan told reporters.
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'He does set high standards, he holds lads accountable, and when you do come off that standard, like last Friday, he holds people accountable, and that's the standard he has and that's the standard I have for myself.
'The other night, I didn't have my best game. But I'm just focused now on the next game after that, trying to improve and getting back to that standard.'
Honohan denied that the presence of Hallgrímsson and O'Shea in the crowd had any influence on his display.
'No, I've said numerous times in the past that I treat every game the same, I didn't know the manager or John O'Shea was in the stand. I just focus on Galway. Like I said, as a team, we had an off day, myself, as an individual, I had an off day, but I wouldn't say that affected me at all.'
In general, Bradley has been complimentary of Honohan and touted him for a place in the Ireland squad long before it came to fruition.
But the former Cork City player was not necessarily expecting an imminent call-up and had booked a trip abroad for the League of Ireland's mid-season break.
'I was planning on going away to Malaga to get a bit of sun, but I'm not complaining, I'm delighted to be here,' he said.
Honohan, who can play wing-back or centre-half, has attracted interest from clubs in the UK, owing to his recent performances for Shamrock Rovers both domestically and in Europe.
Bradley also recently acknowledged that it would be difficult to keep hold of the in-demand star, and when asked about the possibility of a move, Honohan diplomatically said: 'I just want to become the best player that I can be.'
It's fair to say the Carrigaline native has been a late developer, with his only club footballing experience so far coming on these shores.
'I never went to the UK, I've always been in Ireland,' he said. 'I played with Carrigaline United until I was 16, and I was lucky I had great coaching down there, and then, I went to Cork City, the academy, had brilliant managers there, and I think that is definitely something that helped me.
'Having versatility playing different positions, I was lucky enough to have brilliant managers and coaches to help me with that in the academy, and then I played with Cork and came to Shamrock Rovers last year, and the standards they set, the manager, and the rest of the staff there have improved me.
'The coaching I've had since I was young has always been at a really high level. I've never been to the UK, but I've never looked at it like it was a negative.'
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