Ipswich Town striker Daryl Murphy not worried by his lack of Ireland goals
Republic of Ireland's Daryl Murphy during the UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifying Playoff second leg at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday November 16, 2015. See PA story SOCCER Republic. Photo credit should read: Martin Rickett/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS Editorial use only, No commercial use without prior permission, please contact PA Images for further information: Tel: +44 (0) 115 8447447. - Credit: PA
Daryl Murphy won’t let the fact he’s yet to open his goalscoring account for his country affect him, as he bids to make the final Republic of Ireland squad of Euro 2016.
The Ipswich Town striker, who scored 10 times for the Blues having managed 27 the previous season, has been capped 20 times by his country but has yet to score.
Warm-up games against the Netherlands and Belarus would be the perfect time for Murphy to score his first international goal, ahead of tough group clashes with Italy, Ireland and Belgium, but the Ipswich striker isn’t letting his lack of Ireland goals worry him.
“Any goal for Ireland would be great, but I cannot allow that affect me,” he said.
“If I play, and do all the things that I am able to - hold the ball up, get players involved, flick ons - then the chances, and the goals, hopefully, will come.
“It is just a case of getting that one. It does not seem to want to go in for me for whatever reason but if the chance comes my way, hopefully I can take it.”
When informed it took legendary Irish striker John Aldridge 20 games to open his account, before going on to score 19 for his country, Murphy said: “Did it? Well, that is not bad then.”
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Ireland duty sees Murphy reunited with his former Ipswich and Sunderland boss, Roy Keane, with the striker seeing plenty of similarities between Martin O’Neill’s number two and current Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy.
“Roy had me before at previous clubs and knew what I could do,” he said. “He played me a lot (at club level) and gave me a chance.
“The two of them have always been good to me. That is the comparison. They always believed in me.
“When Roy came in at Sunderland, I had played most games, had done well, and he was always good to me, always saying if you work hard and get on with it, you will do okay. Mick is the same.
“If you do well for him he will play you. It is as simple as that.”
