James McCarthy is poised to leave Everton this summer in an effort to force his way back into the Ireland team.
And skipper Seamus Coleman insists the forgotten man of Irish football still has a major role to play in the push for Euro 2020.
McCarthy was sidelined for over a year after a horror double leg break against West Brom in January 2018.
And his role off the bench in Everton’s 4-0 win over Manchester United in April was his only appearance this season.
A loan move was floated in January but never materialised and the 28-year-old is down the Everton pecking order.
It’s now believed he will leave this summer - possibly on loan.
And Toffees team-mate Coleman said yesterday: “If he gets a pre-season and starts a season somewhere we can get James back.
“If you'd asked me six weeks after he was back from his injury how he was, he was maybe a bit nervous, tentative.
“But in the last three or four months, he has been the James McCarthy of old - getting in people's faces, flying into tackles in training.
“He was really fit but for one reason or another the manager has chosen not to play him, maybe he was happy with the team he had and it was hard to get in.
“But James has talked about how he'd like to get out and get playing football again and it would be good for everyone to see him back week in, week out.”
McCarthy has left McCarthy out of the squad for the Portuguese training camp and the Denmark and Gibraltar games due to his lack of games.
But the Ireland boss wants a match-ready McCarthy at his disposal and will hope he does get a summer move.
Coleman added: “I want him to do well for Ireland. He has shown me in training that he is back to the level he was at.”
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