‘THERE ARE PLACES UP FOR GRABS AGAINST AUSTRIA’
HARRY ARTER toasted his man-of-the-match performance yesterday evening by guzzling a can of Diet Coke. One thing is for sure, the full-blooded Republic of Ireland midfielder never lets the fizz go flat in his performances. In a tepid friendly, where the Republic of Ireland were worthy 3-1 winners, the combative Bournemouth man was at his antagonistic best. You get the feeling he would not just tackle his own granny, he would probably two foot her. Zimmer frame and all. Just like he did against Austria last November when he made his first competitive Ireland start, Arter was a nuisance and bundle of energy. Or, to put it bluntly, a right pain in the arse for anyone in a sky blue shirt. If there was any indecision in Martin O’Neill’s mind about whether he would once again be thrust into the starting XI when Austria visit this Sunday, it was extinguished once and for all. ‘One thing I always make sure I do is work as hard as I possibly can,’ Arter said. ‘It doesn’t matter if I am playing non-league or international or whatever. Working as hard as I can is what I always try and do. ‘That’s one thing that I feel I’m good at. If I’m physically strong enough to get through a game then I think I’m mentally strong enough to put that to the back of my mind and get on with it,’ he continued. ‘In the past I’ve missed out on a couple of games through injury but I’m really pleased to be here now and hopefully I get another chance on Sunday [against Austria].’ At 27, the former Charlton Athletic man is now in his prime, competing in the Premier League and laying the foundations for a solid international career. Kevin Long is only a year younger than Arter but a cruciate ligament injury suffered early in his Burnley career altered the defender’s progress to the point he only made his full top flight debut towards the back end of this campaign. Yesterday he added a first international start – he came on as a substitute against Mexico earlier last week – to his CV and produced an accomplished performance alongside Shane Duffy at centre back. Such a momentous occasion only had one blip – it clashed with his brother’s wedding in Marbella, so none of his family were at the Aviva Stadium. ‘They were probably watching on the tele with a hangover,’ the Corkman joked, before insisting he is not content with simply being a reliable squad player. ‘Everything is geared towards the Austria game. There’s places up for grabs. I want to stay involved. All I can do now is keep training well and hopefully that will sway the manager’s decision.’ Arter was in the same boat and the pair sailed through this test.