AFTER one substitute appearance in the EFL Cup for Premier League outfit Brighton in 2021, Andrew Moran slipped off the radar for a while.
The talented midfielder spent a while playing his football in the reserves on England’s south coast but he was keen to push on and get first team experience and loan moves to Blackburn last season and Stoke City this term have led to a second call-up for the Republic of Ireland.
“I’m really excited,” said the smiling Dubliner at Monday’s press conference.
“I’m looking forward to training with them and trying to impress.”
Midfield is an area in which the Republic haven’t always imposed themselves so if versatile Moran continuing to develop the game that has made him ever-present in the Potters’ engine room would be good news for his country.
“I would like to think I’m a creative midfielder so I don’t really mind where I play,” he says.
“Wherever I play, I can hopefully bring my strengths and do the things I am good at.
“I have been playing a bit deeper for Stoke this year and I have quite enjoyed it so anywhere in midfield or out wide - I am quite easy about where I play.
“We have got some brilliant players in all areas; hopefully I can show my strengths and if the gaffer thinks I am ready then hopefully I can get in.”
Last season the former Bray Wanderers star played 35 games for Blackburn Rovers and was able to play the creative role that led to goal after goal for his now Republic teammate Sammie Szmodics.
Energetic forward Szmodics has since moved on to the Premier League with Ipswich Town and Moran would love to set up his first international goals in the upcoming Nations League clashes with Finland (Thursday) and England (Sunday).
“I’d be glad to,” says Moran.
“You could see in playing with him and training with him last year the quality he has, his movement’s unbelievable, he’s a dream to play with.
“He’s on the shoulder ready to run in behind, brilliant for players like me to play with, he was class last season, a big reason why we stayed in the league, he scored so many important goals for us.
“And he’s great to have around, he’s funny, very funny, he’s lively, a great guy and a great player.”
After his consistency at Ewood Park last season, Moran returned to Brighton determined to force his way into Fabian Hürzeler’s plans with the Seagulls’ first team. He did well in pre-season but a “collective decision” was made for him to spend another season on loan.
“I think I did alright in pre-season,” he says.
“But we sat down with the gaffer and David Weir at Brighton, and all the loan staff, and we just decided it was the best thing, I needed to get game time at this age, I needed to get games, it was the right decision to head out on loan and luckily I am playing regularly for Stoke now.
“Before I went out on loan, I was having conversations to make sure that going out on loan for the season was the right thing to do.
“They said I just needed to focus on getting as much experience as I can and to get little bits to work on, that I can improve on. I really enjoyed pre-season back there.
“He talked about being as consistent as I can. That was one thing I got better from last season. I had some really good games and then some not so good games. I just wanted to find that level ground where I was consistent week-in and week-out.”
