Sammie Szmodics: 'The best way to shut people up is to show what you can do'

Sammie Szmodics has shared his sense of relief at having finally made his debut for the Republic of Ireland, and how his bow will finally ‘shut people up’ who doubted his commitment to the cause.

The Blackburn Rovers player got his hands on an Irish passport back at the start of the decade but had to wait much longer for his first taste of international football before John O’Shea handed him 70 minutes against Belgium on Saturday.

That gap between getting his documents and his cap left ample room for all sorts of conjecture, his eligibility for Hungary only adding to the chorus of cries that this was a player who would never wear the green shirt.

“Of course there’s doubts. I had to go home in the past because I was injured, and other things have happened, and you read stuff in the press that I don’t want to play for Ireland which is ridiculous because I was desperate to.

“The best way to shut people up is to show what you can do and I thoroughly enjoyed it,” the 28-year old said after the game. “I love playing for Ireland and I’m excited now for the future to hopefully get many more caps.” Szmodics didn’t let his opportunity pass him by.

He set Chiedozie Ogbene up for a glorious goal chance in the opening minutes and worked himself into place for a couple of half-chances with one fired over the bar at the end of the first-half and another blocked early in the second.

“Like I said earlier in the week, I enjoy the defensive side of things, getting back making tackles and taking the full-back or wing-back the other way.

“I created a couple of chances, could have had an assist first-half for a goal and obviously the shot second-half got blocked. Just really enjoyed it, didn’t want to come off. I’m looking forward to another