Carrigaline star Josh Honohan called up to Ireland squad for World Cup qualifier with Armenia 

Carrigaline native Josh Honohan has been called up to the Republic of Ireland squad for Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier with Armenia in Yerevan.

The full-back will replace Sammie Szmodics, who has been ruled out through injury following Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Hungary at the Aviva Stadium.

This will mark the Shamrock Rovers player’s second involvement with the senior team, following squad appearances last June during friendlies with Senegal and Luxembourg.

Lincoln City tried to sign Honohan on the back of this, and a €625,000 bid was rejected by the League of Ireland side on transfer deadline day.

The 24 year old will now spend the autumn and winter competing for a league and cup double, and in the League Phase of the UEFA Conference League which will involve ties with a host of top European clubs including Sparta Prague, AEK Athens, and Shakhtar Donetsk.

The full-back was a key member of the squad that ensured Rovers would play at that level for the second successive season, as the League of Ireland side had to go through three qualifying rounds this summer.

This is the latest chapter in a career that started locally with Carrigaline United and St Francis College Rochestown, and was brought to the next level with the Underage National Leagues.

Honohan actually played with Irish international Jake O’Brien at that level, with the pair on the fringes of the Cork City senior squad in 2020 under Neale Fenn.

They both played roles in the Cork City team that reached that season’s Munster Senior Cup final and lost 2-0 to Rockmount in the decider at Turner’s Cross.

David Harrington, who is now affiliated with Wales after once wearing the green jersey, was also involved in those ties through the disrupted COVID-19 campaign.

Honohan will now have a chance to play senior international football alongside Caoimhin Kelleher, O’Brien, Adam Idah, and Chiedozie Ogbene.

The original quartet all featured in last Saturday’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Hungary at a sold out Aviva Stadium.

The game opened in the worst possible way as Barnabas Varga was able to escape his marker and score inside the first two minutes.

Hungary went on to dominate possession and with that came a corner that was flicked passed Kelleher in the 14th minute.

The Boys in Green rallied after the break, starting with Evan Ferguson flicking the ball in at the far post after Szmodics knocked it on.

Hungary were then reduced to ten men over a tackle on Dara O’Shea and that marked the start of a frantic finish at the Aviva Stadium.

Ogbene was brought on in a bid to take this to the next level, and his movement helped create room for Idah to score a dramatic equaliser in the dying seconds.