Callu O'Dowda is ready to make Ireland’s left wing-back position his own.
The Cardiff City flyer was poised to start there in March’s narrow defeat to France in the opening Euro qualifier after Stephen Kenny spoke highly of him.
But he was ruled out in the build-up due to a groin injury and Kenny deployed Matt Doherty on the left side instead.
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But with captain Seamus Coleman sidelined for this international window, and Doherty poised to start on the right, the door opens for O’Dowda again.
And the 28-year-old - capped 26 times - is setting his sights on that position for the long term having played higher up the pitch before, since his debut for Martin O’Neill.
In Turkey today, O’Dowda said of the wing-back role: “I really enjoy it and physically I have the capabilities to do it.
“I’ve brushed up on a few bits on my defensive awareness, when the ball is over there, what position to be in. Those little things.
“Growing up I was always further up the pitch. I started off as a 10 and then I was left-midfield.
“But I’ve all the attributes to play in that position and to get up and down, and I’m quite honest. That all comes into my favour.”
O’Dowda was devastated to miss the 1-0 defeat to World Cup finalists France but is eager to make amends in Greece on Friday.
“It was the day before the game and I just opened up my groin. It was one of those things where you realise the next day it’s just not going to happen, it’s not worth it.
“I was gutted because I felt really good against Latvia. The lads did really well against France and we had a chance to get something from the game.
“But we’ve got two big ones now and then we’ve got France again and the Netherlands in September.
“They’re big games so I saw the positives, thinking ‘right, I’m missing this game but it could have been a lot worse’. It could have been a serious injury.”
Fourth from bottom, Cardiff dodged Championship relegation by five points and have just appointed their fifth manager in nine months.
But O’Dowda is feeling the benefit of his own 41-game season, even if he admits the constant managerial upheaval made it hard to focus.
“It was quite hard, but that was out of my control. For me personally, I felt in a really good place. I played a lot of games.
“I got a lot of momentum with the rhythm of game after game after game, even though I missed the last couple with concussion.”
On Friday, O’Dowda will renew acquaintances with George Baldock, the English-born Greek international whom he played with at Oxford United.
“They have good individuals and they’re a technical team,” he added. “We can’t think it’ll be easy so we’re expecting a tough game.”
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