Jack Byrne's international ambitions have been dealt a sobering reality check by Ireland manager Mick McCarthy.
McCarthy has told the Shamrock Rovers ace that he will only be considered for an Irish recall once he is regularly playing higher up the pitch.
Former Manchester City youth Byrne has been one of the stars in the League of Ireland this season.
And he earned a first senior call-up in March when on the bench for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia.
But the 23-year-old playmaker did not make the squad for the June double-header against Denmark and Gibraltar - or the training camp in Portugal.
McCarthy said yesterday: “People have watched him for me and they have been very impressed with him.
“The last report I got, he was playing further forward instead of playing back between the two centre halves like he was the last time I saw him.
“And if he plays there then he’s never ever going to have a chance of playing for me.
“Getting the ball off the centre backs, being a quarter-back and firing the ball all over? He has to be up behind the centre forward.”
McCarthy continued: “I’m not trying to tell Stephen Bradley where to play him. I’m saying that any chance he has of playing for me is him playing further forward.
“Further forward where he can find a final pass because he can see it. Finding passes into midfield players? Somebody should be doing that to him so he can do damage.
“He’s a good finisher. So unless he’s doing that he has no chance for me. I heard the last time he played he played further forward and he was excellent.
“So yes, I’ve had reports of him. I’m just saying how I think he sees how he should be playing and how I want him playing.”
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