Sammie Szmodics has admitted that the social media rumours of him not wanting to play for Ireland were not true and that it came down to not being picked more than anything.
Szmodics' fine form for Blackburn, where he has scored 27 goals in all competitions, has been rewarded with an Ireland call-up by interim Ireland manager John O'Shea this week.
The Blackburn hotshot is eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland and Hungary through his ancestry, with a Longford Irish-born grandmother and a Hungarian-born grandfather.
Szmodics had been called up to a past Ireland camp for the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers against Greece and Gibraltar under Stephen Kenny. However, he had to withdraw from those games for personal reasons.
Nobody quite knew what those personal reasons were, and there had been speculation that the Blackburn goal machine had been waiting for a call from Hungary. However, Szmodics put those rumours to bed.
"I read social media like everyone else does. People have said I don't want to play for Ireland, which is nonsense. I have never come out and said that," he said.
"I see people linking me with Hungary, which is where my granddad was from. Again, nonsense; I haven't had anything. I've just been doing what I'm doing at club level, and for the last camp, the phone didn't ring.
"That's out of my hands, but hopefully, with the new manager coming in and the way I've been playing, I get a deserved opportunity and I get to play."
Sammie Szmodics of Blackburn Rovers during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match betwe en Blackburn Rovers and Cambridge United at Ewood Park on January 6, 2024 in Blackburn, England. (Photo by Gary Oakley/Getty Images)Szmodics has been excellent all season, as seen by his impressive goal tally. He leads the championship scoring charts and was excellent against Newcastle in the FA Cup, where he scored. He now believes making his Ireland debut will top off a fine season for him.
"Yeah, with the change of manager and the new manager coming in for the time being, I'd like to think I've done enough at club level to get the phone call and be recognised," Szmodics said.
"Hopefully, I will finally make that Irish debut, which I really want to do. I think it would just top off a good personal season so far."
John O'Shea and Irish fans will be delighted that they managed to beat Hungary to Szmodics' services, but Hungary boss Marco Rossi had a different view and said bitterly that Hungary didn't need a player who didn't want to play for them despite his technical excellence.
“In Szmodics's case, it was very unpleasant to know who could tell the Irish media about his invitation after I inquired with him about whether he would be included in the Hungarian national team,” he said.
“It was either him or his manager. And for what purpose? To be invited to the Irish national team. We don't need such a person, even if he is a technically good player.”
Republic of Ireland Squad: Belgium & SwitzerlandGoalkeepers: Gavin Bazunu (Southampton), Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), and Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth)Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Andrew Omobamidele (Nottingham Forest), Dara O'Shea (Burnley), Liam Scales (Celtic), Jake O'Brien (Lyon), Robbie Brady (Preston North End), and Festy Ebosele (Udinese).Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jason Knight (Bristol City), and Will Smallbone (Southampton). Jamie McGrath (Aberdeen), Callum O’Dowda (Cardiff City), Mark Sykes (Bristol City), Finn Azaz (Middlesbrough), and Mikey Johnston (West Bromwich Albion). Forwards: Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion), Adam Idah (Celtic), Michael Obafemi (Millwall, on loan from Burnley), Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers), Chiedozie Ogbene (Luton Town), Troy Parrott (Excelsior, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur). Fixtures: International Friends23/03: Ireland vs. Belgium, Aviva Stadium, 5pm26/03: Ireland vs. Switzerland, Aviva Stadium, 7.45
