Barnsley head coach Lee Johnson says his star midfielder Conor Hourihane should be called up to the next Republic or Ireland squad and could play for them at the 2016 European Championships.
The 24-year-old was watched at Oakwell on Saturday by Ireland's assistant manager Roy Keane who signed his fellow Cork man Hourihane when manager of both Sunderland and Ipswich Town.
The former Manchester United superstar witnessed Hourihane assist two goals and score one in a man of the match performance which inspired the Reds to a 4-1 win over Swindon Town.
Although Johnson would miss one of his best players for League One games, were he to be called up for qualifiers, the Reds boss hopes his star man is part of Martin O'Neill's squad.
Johnson told the Chronicle: "Conor is 100 per cent ready for the step up to international level. "He has shown quality over a number of seasons. They should be watching him because he is one of the best players in his position in this division. There is no one better as a left-sided attacking centre midfielder and, if I was the Ireland manager, I would be keeping a close eye on him and looking to call him up for the next squad. "If he keeps up Saturday's level of performance then there is no reason why he shouldn't be in the squad if Ireland go to the Euros. That is what he has got to aim for. It will be his marker."
The Republic are likely to face a play-off to make France 2016 as they are third, four points clear of fourth-placed Scotland. They could still catch top two Germany and Poland who they face in their final two matches next month. Barnsley are also hoping for at least the play-offs. They are 11th, one point off the top six with ten points from seven games.
Johnson praised Hourihane – who signed last year from Plymouth – for his performance against Swindon, saying he responded to the work done in training on communication and organisation. The head coach said: "We all know Conor is a very good player but the next step is to be a leader on the pitch. He is not averse to leadership because he was captain of Plymouth for two years. He is a great character and a very well-rounded person. He's the sort of guy you want to be your best mate.
"We have been working on communication and he is one that really stepped up to that. He said he felt more concentrated and that he had more energy after communicating better on Saturday. I thought he was a massive catalyst mentally because he was a captain out there. He recognised what needed to be recognised and pushed us up a bit."
Ben Pearson, who played alongside the Irishman in the Reds midfield three, was also impressed. Pearson said: "Conor was massive for us on Saturday. He was very vocal and he led our gameplan which was to press after their third pass."
Johnson has previously claimed that Hourihane is not suited to playing in a 4-4-2 or a 3-5-2 formation but says the player is becoming more versatile which will be crucial for his progression up the leagues.
Johnson said: "He wants to learn how to play in a midfield two properly. He wants to understand the role for if we move up to the Championship or if he gets bought by a Championship club or if he gets called up to international level. We have been talking about it on a regular basis and, hopefully, we will get to the point where he is comfortable playing in any formation."
