Republic of Ireland and Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane once again, seems championship bound this summer.
The 30-year-old has reportedly attracted the interest of newly relegated sides Sheffield United and West Brom as both clubs are believed to be keen to secure his services next season.
The midfielder is no stranger to Championship football having played with Aston Villa, Barnsley and Swansea in the second tier. His recent move to the Swans back in January was a welcome one as game time was hard to come by at Villa Park.
Yorkshire Live and the Athletic report strong links to the Irishman after impressive displays last season. He made a total of 19 appearances, scoring five goals at Swansea as an instrumental figure in reaching the playoffs.
The fact also remains for Villa manager Dean Smith, who is aware that if Hourihane enters the final year of his current contract, selling him on now before he becomes a free agent may be what Villa need after he was criminally underused last year.
While Hourihane’s loyalty lies with Villa, he may want to look further afield for his Ireland career. Irish manager Stephen Kenny has previously stressed he wants all the players in his squad to play regularly. Hourihane touched upon this at the end of last season talking with off the ball.
"Playing for Ireland was always in the back of my head. I knew if I didn’t pay between January and summer that come March, would I be in the starting line up? Probably not. So that was another big factor why I wanted to go out and play."
