Josh Honohan ‘not complaining' after cancelling Malaga holiday following Ireland call-up as he hails ‘proud moment'
JOSH HONOHAN is happy to miss out on a foreign holiday in a bid to become an international.
But, first, he is hoping to exert some domestic dominance when Premier Division leaders
travel
to second-placed
Derry
City tonight.
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Josh Honohan was called up to the Ireland squad for the friendlies against Senegal and Luxembourg
Credit: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
2
He is the first League of Ireland player to be called up by Heimir Hallgrimsson
Credit: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Honohan became the first League of
Ireland
player to win a call-up to
Senegal
and Luxembourg.
The international break coincides with the domestic game's week without fixtures, designed to allow players to get some R&R, often abroad, and Honohan was no different.
Honohan said: 'I was supposed to go away with a couple of mates to Malaga, but I'm not complaining! I'll get away at the end of the year.'
With no insurance, the
Cork
man will have to take a financial hit on his booking, although the blow will be softened by his international fee from the
money
is rarely a factor when it comes to international
football
, with Honohan proud of the recognition and keen to press his claims to be part of the
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He said: 'It's a really proud moment for myself and my
family
. I'm really happy. I'm really proud.
'I wouldn't say it was something I was exactly targeting when I joined
'I suppose you don't think that far ahead. I would set goals but I wouldn't set goals for that far down the line.
'But with the platform and how successful the club has been in the last couple of years I did think it was a possibility.
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'I didn't fully know when the squad was being announced. It was just one or two text messages and then a confirmation email so I was really happy.'
He is expecting his nearest and dearest to travel in numbers for the game against Senegal at the
Aviva
Stadium in two weeks' time.
Heimir Hallgrimsson 'happy with character and discipline' in win over Bulgaria but reveals where Ireland need to improve
He said: 'I always think the Ireland support is unreal even when you see it on the
TV
.
'It's mad, only speaking to my family and aunts the other day, they always go on about Italia 90 and how good that was for Ireland.
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'With the
qualifiers
coming up I think it's something that they're targeting and I think that's the aim for everybody obviously is to get to the World Cup. Cork is obviously big into its sport so I'm sure they'll travel well. I would've gone to a lot of Ireland games. I think the first one I went to must have been on a
school
trip with Rochestown College.
'I must have only been in second year and they played America in a friendly in the Aviva.
'Looking at the players that were playing that night, it's always something I've dreamed of since I was a kid.
'Hopefully I'll get the chance over the
next
couple of weeks.'
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If he does, he will emulate
Jake
O'Brien, also 24, whom he knows well.
He said: 'I played with him in the academy with Cork for two or three years. I'd still be in contact with Jake sometimes, obviously he's a very good player, most importantly he's a really good person.'
ADAPTING TO CHANGE
And his City experience will, he believes, help if required to adapt to Ireland's flat back-four, given that he is primarily used by Rovers as a wing-back.
He said: 'The way I probably build up as a left-back is a bit different.
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'Obviously being right-footed on the left, it's also a bit different, but I've played left-back before with Cork and in the academy. It is familiar to me and I do believe that I can play left-back.'
Those thoughts will be at the back of his head when Rovers reach the halfway point of their season with this evening's top-of-the-table clash in the Brandywell.
The 24-year-old added: 'It's always a tough place to go but we'll be targeting three points.'
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