Wes Hoolahan has been the subject of intense transfer speculation recently with regard to a move to Aston Villa, and many people thus far seem to be uninspired by his potential arrival at the club.
Soo who exactly is Mr. Hoolahan, and why should we be excited if he does arrive at the Villa?
Wes is a naturally gifted footballer whom hails from Dublin, the same breeding ground that has produced other naturally gifted attacking players such as Liam Brady and Robbie Keane. Youngsters in Dublin tend play a lot more street football than their counter parts in other parts of Ireland, mainly because there are more streets which, in turn, can produce a different type of footballer.
Now obviously Dublin is not on a par with the magicians who learn their footballing skills on the streets of Brazil, but make no mistake there is no shortage of talent on offer. In addition, the recently ousted Giovanni Trapattoni from the Republic Of Ireland hot seat admitted in June 2013 that he had ignored the rare mercurial talent of thirty one year Hoolahan for too long.
Remarkably Hoolahan only got his first start in an Irish shirt in 2013 despite making his senior debut in 2008. People in Ireland have various theories as to why Trapattoni choose to ignore him for so long and, who knows, perhaps the green army might have been preparing for Brazil this summer if Hoolahan had been given a starting birth earlier in the qualification campaign. Trapattonni took a while to realise what all the fuss was about surrounding Hoolahan, but to see is to believe.
Wes plays with his head up, a trait the Villa midfield has been lacking for quite some time, he foresees situations developing on a football pitch long before a play develops. In addition, his eye for a pass is his most potent and admirably weapon in his armoury, hence Robbie Keane’s continuous pleas for his inclusion in the Irish setup – essentially, strikers love playing with the guy because he guarantees you service when you’re making a lung busting run.
So why, oh why, has this guy failed to capture the attention of the wider football community?
Well one can argue he has not played at the most fashionable of clubs with respect to Norwich City, Blackpool and Livingston. Or maybe the fact Wes is a mere 5ft 6in tall has turned suitors off in the past given the preference for taller players in the Premier League.
Whatever the reason Hoolahan and Villa seem to be a match made in heaven for so many reasons in this moment in time. We all know the cash flow situation at the Villa, we all know the squad lacks experience and we definitely all know the team is screaming out for creativity – for me, Hoolahan is the answer.
Despite his slender build, Hoolahan comes with plenty of Irish fire in his belly as was clearly seen recently when he tussled with Crystal Palace’s Marouane Chamakh, shown here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACSfKPFf_3E.
Despite Chamakh’s obvious physical advantage over Hoolahan, he never backed down, and when many would have lay down in an attempt to get the Moroccan sent off, Wes jumped straight to his feet.
Of course Hoolahan is but one of many who will be linked with the club in the coming month, but I can assure you that if the creative talents of Hoolahan are at Lambert’s disposal for the rest of the season, it will have a positive impact on the side.
A player whom has a natural instinct to create and assist in the attacking third is hard to find and that is exactly what Mr.Hoolahan brings to the table. So, for me, the sooner we sign him, the better for the club.
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