Darragh Leahy will return to the Bohemians squad tonight with Mick McCarthy’s praise ringing in his ears.
The left-back was a key part of Stephen Kenny’s Under-21 team that beat Armenia in Tallaght last Friday before smashing Sweden in their own backyard on Tuesday.
In the build-up to that game - and before the senior friendly with Bulgaria - McCarthy namechecked Leahy as a standout player in the Tallaght game which he was at.
But Leahy’s international colleague Danny Mandroiu is set to miss out tonight having come off at half-time in that Swedish win because of a hip injury.
Another of that team, Zack Elbouzedi, will be among the opposition ranks at Dalymount Park when he features for Waterford.
But almost two full seasons in, Leahy is loving life at Bohs having returned from a stint with Coventry City.
“It was good and bad,” he said of his time over the water. “When I went over, I was 16 and couldn’t wait to get going.
“I went over and got offered a new two-year contract and after that, I wasn’t playing, I was going out on loan and not playing there (Nuneaton) either.
“I had six months left on my deal and I just said ‘Right, there’s no point in staying here, I’m not playing’.
“The League of Ireland starts in January. If I wanted until my contract was out in June, it would have been halfway through the season, would have been harder to get a club.
“It was frustrating, I just wanted to get home and play games and I have been playing games.
“It was still a tough decision but (coming home) can be used as a bounce board if you’re playing regular first-team football.
Leahy added: “People just think you go to England and it’s all flashy stuff, it’s far from it.
“You’re living away from your family and friends and I was the only Irish boy over there as well so it was very tough.”
Meanwhile, Waterford boss Alan Reynolds is hoping for a response after Monday’s comprehensive 3-1 defeat to Waterford in the FAI Cup quarter-final.
“There’s been very little between ourselves and Bohs this season, we drew home and away and they snatched an injury time winner in the RSC, so we’re going for the win.”
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