Dean Smith says Conor Hourihane’s talents go ‘unseen’ by a lot of Aston Villa fans.
Dean Smith has admitted to Aston Villa’s official website that he’s ‘really pleased’ for Conor Hourihane after his brace against Derby County last weekend.
The Irish midfielder scored twice as Aston Villa thrashed the Rams 4-0 at Villa Park in their best win and performance of the season so far.
Hourihane fell foul of the Villa boo boys a few weeks ago after being jeered off the field during a 2-0 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion.
And although Smith can understand the frustration, he says that Hourihane’s ability goes ‘unseen’ by many supporters.
He told Aston Villa’s official website: “I was really pleased for him. He has a lot of abilities that sometimes go unseen in the eyes of supporters.
“He got a bit of stick coming off the pitch against West Brom. I wasn’t aware of it at the time. He hadn’t been as bad as anyone else in that game.
“But the run of results at that point and the way that particular match was going reflected in the reaction of the supporters, I suppose.”
Aston Villa fans will be hoping that Hourihane emerges unscathed from the upcoming international break, as he looks set to earn a spot in Mick McCarthy’s first Republic of Ireland squad later this month.
Despite an erratic showing against Albion, the 28-year-old, who has more assists than any other Villan this season, is clearly a big player for his club and although it might be too late to win promotion, Hourihane can help Smith’s side have a strong end to the season nevertheless.
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