'He will be really proud' - John Patrick Finn fulfills late dad's wish for him to play for Ireland

Irish Examiner

a day ago

'I prefer to be called John,' says Ireland's latest debutant, whose full name is John Joe Patrick Finn Benoa.
He's 21 but various versions of his name have formed part of the Irish football discourse since before he reached 10.
His distinctive hairstyle caught attention but giddiness abounded when it was discovered this nine-year-old namechecked on the Ryan Tubridy Show was eligible for Ireland.
Meritocracy knows no age in the footballing industry and the stylish midfielder emerged from a competitive trial of 200 boys to be recruited by Real Madrid.
Born to a Cameroonian mother and English father, whose parents lived in Ballyhaunis Co Mayo, the name was a giveaway about his lineage.
Yet this wasn't a case of a player possessing tenuous Irish connections seeking a ticket to the international football circuit. Finn spent his summers in the west of Ireland, lining out for Galway side Salthill Devon on occasion.
Then his name began to morph. John Patrick was the primary moniker but John Joe was used within an Irish context.
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Being the only John in the Irish camp, apart from assistant manager O'Shea, played into his preference for the one name title.
He was raised in Spain, now operates in France for Stade de Reims but is unequivocal about his identity.
'I am a Mayo man,' he affirmed in his broken English after appearing as a late substitute against Luxembourg on Tuesday.
'My Dad is from Ireland, also my grandfather, and when I was young every summer I went to Ballyhaunis.
'Mayo was different to Madrid where I lived. Those summers were really great with my family - we had a great time and days together.
'So, I had that connection from when I was young and it really matters.'
The one pang of disappointment about his bow was his Dad not being around. He passed away in recent years but held a lifelong wish for his son to represent Ireland.
'I know he will be really proud,' said his son.
Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson with John Joe Patrick Finn after the game. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.
His club career entailed a move from Real to Getafe and last season onto Ligue 1 in a seven-figure move.
Making his debut against PSG and figuring in the French Cup final were his highlights but Reims suffered relegation.
That might widen the latitude for the newcomer to string games together and he realises that's necessary to be in the equation for the Ireland squad that embarks on the World Cup qualifiers.
Heimir Hallgrimsson recently made a two-hour drive to meet Finn to ascertain his international commitment. The player insisted Ireland was the only country for him and rival countries didn't pose a dilemma.
'It's not the way that everybody wants to make their debut – playing the last few minutes,' he confessed.
'Being a high intensity match, it wasn't easy getting into the game.
'The manager just told me I had to get the tactics, how the team works and I think I am catching the way the team plays.
'The experience was good. This squad has a lot of quality. I know we have a difficult qualifying group but I think we can do good things.'