The Middlesbrough goalkeeper plays alongside the Sheffield United and Aston Villa players for Ireland.
Middlesbrough’s Darren Randolph has praised Sheffield United’s David McGoldrick and Aston Villa’s Conor Hourihane after the Republic of Ireland’s win against Georgia on Tuesday.
The pair, whose club sides are competing with Randolph’s for promotion this season, were each making their first competitive international start.
McGoldrick received a standing ovation from the Aviva Stadium crowd when subbed in the 82nd minute, after Hourihane had scored Ireland’s winner from a direct free-kick.
“They were both brilliant,” Randolph told The Sun when asked about the Sheffield United and Aston Villa players. “Didsy (McGoldrick) has had a tough time with injury but now he’s fit and having a great season.
“The ovation he got when he came off was brilliant, he really deserved it and Conor deserved his goal.
“It was great to see them both do so well.”
McGoldrick played under the new Ireland manager, Mick McCarthy, at Ipswich Town but was allowed to leave at the end of his contract last summer, shortly after the Yorkshireman’s exit.
The striker was soon snapped up by Sheffield United, whom he has helped to second in the Championship with his 12 league goals.
Meanwhile, Hourihane has scored six of his own from midfield, with Aston Villa now firmly in contention to secure a play-off finish, from which they could face Randolph’s Middlesbrough for the second year running.
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