Roy Keane explains what Celtic starlet Eoghan O’Connell needs to do to earn international recognition

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The defender has featured fairly regularly for the Scottish Premiership side this season.

Eoghan O’Connell

Republic of Ireland assistant boss Roy Keane has told The Irish Sun that Eoghan O’Connell needs to be featuring regularly for Celtic’s first-team if he wants to earn a spot in the senior side.

The centre-back has played for his country’s under-21 team, but failed to receive a call-up for Martin O’Neill’s squad for the games against Oman and Serbia.

And Keane has explained that O’Connell, as well as Bristol City winger Callum O’Dowda – who did receive a call-up – needs to be playing on a regular basis to receive international recognition.

“The manager isn’t looking to reward players by getting into the senior team when they haven’t kicked a ball yet. You’ve to fight for places,” he told The Irish Sun.

Republic of Ireland assistant coach Roy Keane

“We just hope these young players will continue to get regular first-team football, whether it be O’Connell or O’Dowda.

“That would help greatly in terms of getting to the international team, particularly the lads who are playing at the higher level, the Champions League, there are only benefits in that.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers

The early signs this season suggest that O’Connell does have a role to play under Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead. He has already made a handful of appearances for the Hoops across several competitions, including the Champions League qualifiers, and played in the International Champions Cup contest against Barcelona in pre-season.

Though he has been left out of the club’s squad for the Champions League group-stages (via The Scottish Sun), he will be hoping that the Bhoys’ potential progress in that competition sees him given more opportunities domestically.

And he will also be hoping that if more chances come his way, he can follow in Kieran Tierney’s footsteps by impressing so much that Rodgers, and perhaps O’Neill also, have no choice but to call upon him regularly.