Why Rocco Vata opted for Ireland ahead of Scotland and Albania, in his own words
Rocco Vata has outlined why he made the decision to play international football for Ireland ahead of Scotland, Albania and Montenegro.
The Watford midfielder made his senior debut for the Boys in Green in the March Nations League play-off away to Bulgaria, when he came off the bench in the 79th minute for Jason Knight.
Vata was born in Glasgow, where his dad Rudi played for Celtic, so he could have opted for Scotland.
And through his dad, capped 59 times for Albania, he could also have decided to line out for the nation currently 66th in the FIFA world rankings, just six places below Ireland.
However Vata, qualifying for the Boys in Green through his grandmother on his mum's side, made his international breakthrough with Ireland at Under-15s level in 2019.
He has since pulled on the green jersey at Under-17s, 18s, 19s and 21 levels, and he is still eligible for Jim Crawford's side as he only turned 20 in April.
Vata was left out of the squad for the June friendly draws with Senegal and Luxembourg, with manager Heimir Hallgrímsson deciding to give his Championship players a rest, as their season ended a month before the summer camp.
And Vata was carrying a slight knock from his first full season of first-team club football, having made 37 appearances for the Hornets.
Asked why he opted to represent Ireland, the former Celtic prospect opened up on the reasons for his decision.
He told the Watford website: 'It was the country that showed interest first and somewhere I've had great memories.
'It has been a great experience so far, and I have made some good friends on the way.'
Among his most treasured memories to date are his times with the underage teams, including a hat-trick against San Marino last year in just his second appearances with the Under-21s.
'It's special,' he said. 'Even at Academy level we have filled out the stadium at Turners Cross in Cork, so it shows how passionate the Irish people are about winning, even at Under-21 level.'
As for his three-goal display in a 7-0 win against San Marino in March of last year, he added: 'I actually left the hat-trick ball with the kit man because I couldn't get a football on the flight back from Italy. I haven't actually got it back yet – I'm sure he still has it.'
Vata also spoke about the extra work he puts in on the training pitch at Watford.
'Extra practice is something I take real pride in,' he said. 'It is what gives me confidence in games, knowing in the back of my mind that I don't have doubts because of all the practice I have put in.
'Sometimes I'm alone, but other times the likes of Mamadou (Doumbia) stay out as well. It is probably because we are both younger, so we have to work harder on being clinical.'
During his time at Celtic, Vata managed just six first-team appearances. As for his first season at Watford, 15 of his 33 Championship outings were as a starter.
'Obviously it was a bit frustrating, but I realised at my age I have to show that bit extra to mark my spot in the team,' he said.
While he did not become a regular with the Scottish champions, Vata spoke of his pride at representing his dad's club.
'It was a dream come true,' he said. 'Playing for the same team as my dad was something I dreamed about as a kid, so it was special to be able to continue the legacy of the Vata name at Celtic Park, especially being a part of a team that won trophies for two straight seasons.'
'Since I was a kid, I never had anything else (apart from being a professional footballer) on my mind. I constantly had a ball at my feet, so it is what I was born to do.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
43 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
‘He had the room instantly' – Stephen Bradley reveals ‘gold dust' guidance he received from GAA icon
STEPHEN Bradley believes Shamrock Rovers took their eye off the ball - but hopes Brian Cody can help them back to the top. Bradley steered Rovers to a record-equalling four league titles in a row but were denied the chance to rewrite history 2 Bradley and Cody have both won four Irish titles in a row in their respective fields 2 Brian Cody was Kilkenny manager from 1998 to 2022 and won 43 major honours The 40-year-old has accepted responsibility for that but insisted there was a renewed focus at the club who enjoy a six-point advantage at the top of the table ahead of the resumption of the League of Ireland season. Asked what he made of the defending champions who lie fifth, he said: 'I looked at them before we played them but haven't followed them or looked at them in any way, being honest. "We took our eye off the ball on a few things last year. This year is full focus on us and what we do. 'A lot of things went wrong last year and we all needed to take ownership of that. Number one that starts with me. Read more on Irish sport 'There were a few things we got a bit complacent with. You can't afford to do that because this league doesn't allow for it. Our full focus is completely on what we do. 'It's easy to say the players were this and that but when things go wrong the first person you've to look at is yourself. "Some things as manager and staff we didn't do quite right last year and that needed to change.' And he admitted that he was keen to learn from other successful bosses and was particularly taken with insights shared by Brian Cody - who led Kilkenny to 11 All-Ireland titles in 16 seasons - at a leadership talk hosted by South Dublin County Council. Most read in Football Bradley said: 'I think you have to look at all the codes and learn from the best in their field operating at an elite level. 'It's not just football around the world and Europe. You watch Heimir Hallgrimsson surprised with birthday gift from Ireland fans during warm-ups for Luxembourg friendly 'If you can't watch something like that and learn from the outside, you're doing something wrong. You've got to be open to learning from all codes. 'Then you're meeting people from different codes, picking their brains on what they do and how they continue to be successful. "Myself, Stephen McPhail and Glenn Cronin were at a talk with the 'He gave a speech across the road which was brilliant to listen to. We could ask questions to pick his brains which was gold dust. 'You could see why he was so successful. Within five minutes, he had the room. He was so special. 'It was how he maintained standards and culture. It seemed he was a brilliant person to work with and want to work with. "To have that sustained success, there was so much in it that we were talking notes all day.' CODY'S CODE Cody had "He's done that for so long it was important to listen to that and ask questions. We still go through the notes and talk about it. 'You can't turn down opportunities like that. It's brilliant to learn from people who've been there and done it, seeing what they've gone through and how they sustain success. 'We've a lot of people from different codes reaching out asking to speak with different teams. I take sessions and so do the staff. 'Often we have people in from business, either they own theirs, starting it up or company CEOs. "They've wanted to see the environment of how we operate. That's healthy because we learn from each other, if we're doing well or not so well. 'Johnny Cooper was one I met quite regularly for coffees and chats. He was a big part of what that Meanwhile, Rovers have received a major boost after learning Lee Grace does not require back surgery. Bradley said: 'We thought he was done for the season. "He displaced a few discs and they were really worried about one but thankfully it settled. The specialist was happy for him to come back. It's a huge boost.'
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Cork City bolster defensive ranks with signing of Fiacre Kelleher
Cork City have snapped up Irish centre-half Fiacre Kelleher on a long-term contract following his departure from Colchester United. City boss Ger Nash has made Kelleher - the older brother of Republic of Ireland No. 1 Caoimhín - his first signing since taking over the managerial reins from Tim Clancy. 29-year-old Kelleher - a former Ireland underage international - has spent the last three seasons at League Two outfit Colchester United, making over 60 appearances, and will join City on July 1. The 6ft 3in Leesider began his career with Avondale United, before signing for Celtic in 2012. Since then, he has represented a number of clubs in the English Football League pyramid, making almost 300 career appearances. Experienced defender Kelleher will be tasked with adding some steel to the City defence, as Nash looks to steer his side to a surge up the table in the second-half of the League of Ireland Premier Division campaign. "It's been a few weeks in the pipeline, so it's nice to get something sorted, and it's something to look forward to come the first of July," Kelleher said. "I've known Ger since I was first on trial in Ipswich years ago, so the minute he phoned me and we had a conversation, I was really excited and keen to get something done." City boss Nash added: "We're getting a very good, experienced player in Fiacre. He's played a lot of football at a good level across the water. "What's really important is type of man that we're getting. I've known Fiacre for a long time. He's had offers and opportunities from clubs in England, but he's desperate to be here, and to play for Cork City. He's really passionate about the club. He's given up a lot to come to us, and we're delighted to have him. He walks into the dressing room as someone who cares passionately about the club." The older Kelleher's move comes hot on the heels of Caomhín's multi-million euro move from Premier League champions Liverpool to Brentford.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Ryanair's Irish business being hampered 'by failed regulation and political inaction', says Michael O'Leary
Ryanair chief executive, Michael O'Leary, has stated that the airline's home market in Dublin is being hampered "by failed regulation and political inaction'. Mr O'Leary makes his comments in Ryanair's 2025 annual report which reveals that this year Mr O'Leary received a remuneration package of €3.83m that included bonus payments of €600,000. The report shows that in the 12 months to the end of March this year, Mr O'Leary received the maximum bonus possible of €600,000 or 50% of basic pay under his contract as Ryanair recorded pre-tax profits of €1.78bn on the back of revenues climbing to €13.94bn. The airline achieved the revenues as passenger numbers increased by 9% to a record 200 million for the first time. Mr O'Leary's pay package was made up of basic pay of €1.2m, a bonus payment of €600,000 and share options of €2.03m. A note attached to the accounts states that the €2.03m component is through the company recording a technical non-cash accounting charge in relation to share options granted to Mr O'Leary. The note states that no such payment was made to Mr O'Leary and the share options remain unvested. At the end of May, Mr O'Leary qualified for share options worth more than €100m as part of a bonus scheme and the 64-year-old will have to stay at Ryanair until the end of July 2028 to collect them. The annual report shows that, while overall Ryanair revenues increased by €505m or 3.75% to €13.94bn, its Irish revenues contracted by 4% from €791m to €757.5m. The airline's Irish business accounted for 5.4% of overall revenues as Italy was the airline's most lucrative market at €2.96bn, followed by Spain at €2.47bn and UK revenues at 2.04bn. Dublin Airport In his message to shareholders, Mr O'Leary said that the home market in Dublin is being 'hampered by failed regulation and political inaction'. He said that at Dublin Airport over €320m has been invested in a new second runway, which doubles the capacity from 32 million to over 60 million passengers per annum. He said that "Dublin's airlines are prevented from using this growth capacity, because an 18-year-old planning restriction artificially caps Dublin Airport traffic at 32 million per annum over fears (in 2007), that road access around Dublin Airport would be 'overwhelmed' at this volume of passengers". He said that Ireland's newly elected Government 'committed to removing this outdated traffic cap, yet three months later no action has been taken'. He said: Only in Ireland would we allow this vital access infrastructure to be built, but then refuse our airlines and citizens the ability to use it, due to bureaucratic failure to abolish an absurd and outdated planning restriction. "This is a clear example of the sort of regulatory failure, which the Draghi Report has encouraged Europe to reform and remove.' Booking verification The annual report also makes reference to the Data Protection Commission (DPC) here launching an inquiry into Ryanair's booking verification process last October. The report states that Ryanair has engaged with the DPC "explaining that its verification requirement is designed to ensure compliance with safety and security protocols, and that the process of verification fully complies with the requirements of the GDPR". The report says that the inquiry is expected to take at least one year "and while Ryanair is confident in its position, the DPC may ultimately find that the verification process has not fully complied with the GDPR, which could lead to the imposition of a substantial fine". Boeing planes In his message to shareholders, Mr O'Leary says that 'the biggest medium-term challenge we face, remains the risk to Boeing deliveries'. He said: 'While the final units of our 210 Boeing 737-8200 order were contracted to deliver in December 2024, at our March 2025 year end Boeing left us short 34 of these deliveries. 'We got five more in April but the remaining 29 are not expected to deliver until the second half of FY26, hopefully in time for summer 2026. The quality and timeliness of Boeing deliveries has recently improved under their new management, but this needs to be reflected in rising monthly production if Boeing is to erase its current delivery backlog.' Mr O'Leary says that over the next decade Ryanair hopes to buy 300 more Boeing MAX-10 aircraft, to grow to 300 million guests per annum and to create approximately 10,000 new jobs. The aggregate amount of compensation paid by Ryanair to its key management personnel was €14.7m including a €4.2m non-cash technical accounting charge in relation to unvested share options. In the 12 months to the end of March, the airline employed an average of 27,076 as staff costs totalled €1.75bn.
