WORLD CUP: Carl O'Malleytalks to Reading's Stephen Hunt about fighting for a starting place for Ireland at home.
HE’S RARELY short of a few words, but with his future at Reading secured until 2012 and some transfer-window wrangling a distant memory, Stephen Hunt had no axe to grind when he met the media in Malahide last night
Getting back to the Premier League as soon as possible remains the objective on the club scene, but the 27-year-old is happy to push for the top flight with Reading.
“By now I should learn to know what will be will be and just get on with it . . . and hopefully if you work hard enough as a player you’ll get your breaks,” says Hunt.
Of more immediate concern is tomorrow’s World Cup 2010 qualifier. Hunt looks likely to start on the bench despite playing in Mainz and Montenegro – his only full games in the 15 caps for his country – after the return to form of Damien Duff and with Aiden McGeady preferred at home by Giovanni Trapattoni.
They are a tough pairing to break up when fit, but Hunt has no doubt he’s viewed as an equal, rather than back-up.
“I trust myself and believe in my own ability. I like the two of them and get on well with them. I’ll back them, and if I’m playing I’m sure they’ll back me,” he says.
“That’s the sign of a good team come the end of the qualification. They probably deserve to play at the moment, but once I get in and get that first game at home and show people what I’m really capable of doing then I’ll be happy. I know the manager is happy with me and you can tell if a manager likes you or not.”
With Ireland, Hunt’s always been one to look to the greater good and acknowledges that in the away fixtures his energy and willingness to do the ugly stuff meant he was the man for the job.
Back on home soil, he sat out the 1-0 win over Cyprus in October, before scoring his first international goal in the 3-2 friendly defeat to Poland in November. It was a welcome relief after a 14-game wait that “really got on my nerves”.
Against the Cypriots, he knows he just wasn’t the horse for the course in the manager’s eyes and, with the top of the table in sight, insists he and the squad are united in their quest to get themselves and the fans to South Africa. “I think I got the short straw in terms of playing in the first two away games, difficult games to come into,” says Hunt.
“But I was happy with my performances, we had a job to do and get points on the board. We have to qualify for a World Cup, it’s been a long time since we’ve done it and I don’t care how we get there. If we play well, then great, or if we grind out results the Irish fans won’t be complaining if they’re singing away in South Africa.”
