Leeds United’s Patrick Bamford wants to play for the Republic of Ireland national team, according to Mick McCarthy.
Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy has included 30-year-old Amond, who can operate as a striker or as a winger and is on the books of League Two club Newport in England at the moment, in his provisional squad for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia.
McCarthy recently revealed to The Times that Leeds striker Bamford is open to playing for the Republic of Ireland senior side.
The 25-year-old forward joined Leeds in the summer of 2018 and is playing well for the Championship club in England at the moment.
The former Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough forward played once for the Republic of Ireland Under-18 side back in 2010, and since then, he has turned out for the England Under-18, Under-19 and Under-21 squads.
Former Republic of Ireland international star Kilbane, who played for West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and Everton among other clubs in England, has suggested that he would have Amond over Bamford for the national team.
Kilbane told The Irish Independent: “If you are asking me who I’d have in the squad now, I’d pick Padraig Amond and I can’t get away from that because of what it means to Padraig to play.
“If he [Bamford] was picking up the phone regularly to Mick or Mick was ringing him and there was a big push from him, ‘I am desperate to come over and play’, I’d get on board with it.
“If he gets picked and plays down the line I’d support him, but I still think it’s a lot more special for Padraig to play than it is for Patrick Bamford.
“I’ve not got a problem when they come in and are committed, it’s the murkiness of the selection in the first place.”
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