RTE pundit Didi Hamann believes Ireland forward Chiedozie Ogbene has the potential to play Premier League football in the near future.
The Rotterham star burst onto the scene with Ireland in 2021 when he made his first international appearance against Hungary. Since then, Ogbene has won a further 10 caps, scored three goals and become a key part of Stephen Kenny's squad.
While Ireland may have failed to qualify for this month's World Cup, Hamann still believes the future can be bright for Irish football. And in Ogbene, he sees a man that could very well be plying his trade in England's top flight in the not too distant future.
"The profile of football in Ireland is growing, coverage is growing and I think Irish football is going from strength to strength," said Hamann.
"Chiedozie Ogbene has the ability to secure a Premier League move in the future. He's already scored four goals this season and he's a very powerful player and he could be an asset for a lot of teams.
"He's been a standout player for the last year or so now and I don't see any reason why, if he finishes the season well with Rotherham, he can't make the move to the Premier League one day."
With stars like Ogbene improving all the time, the RTE pundit believes qualification for the 2024 European Championships is not a pipe-dream. However, momentum needs to be built, and this month's friendlies with Norway and Malta are the perfect place to start.
"Ireland need to win games and build confidence because they've got a tough Euros qualifying group and in recent years they always seem to lose the first game against minor nations.
"Everyone starts to look forward to things and then they lose the first game and everything goes up in smoke but I think the upcoming games are a brilliant opportunity to get two wins and build confidence ahead of the qualifying campaign.
"It's a good test if they want to get out of their group. They've got the capabilities to do that but it won't be easy and I think the November fixtures are a brilliant test to show people what is growing in Ireland."
Since Stephen Kenny took over as senior manager, the entire landscape of Irish football has changed. Because of Brexit, Irish players are no longer being poached by English clubs at young ages.
But the ex-Liverpool star still feels more has to be done to improve the league, While players are staying in the league of Ireland for longer, English clubs are still able to cherry-pick the best young talent that the league has to offer. Hamaan believes the presence of an icon like Damian Duff, is the perfect way for the league to increase its appeal.
"Irish football is improving and a lot more has to be done in grassroots football because sometimes the players leave for England too early.
"You've got Damian Duff managing in the League of Ireland now so that should raise the profile of Ireland and you've always had teams like Dundalk performing well in Europe."
Ireland will be playing Malta when the World Cup begins on November 20th. While we'll be watching from afar, Hamann, unsurprisingly, has a team in mind for the Irish to root for.
"Irish fans should be supporting Germany at the World Cup. It's a shame that Ireland aren't at the tournament. They should be capable of doing so much more and I hope that they qualify for the next tournament."
Hamann was speaking to Boylesports football as part of their build-up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar which kicks-off later this month. More information can be found here.
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