After a poor season on the domestic front, Aston Villa’s Ciaran Clark will hope he can end the season in style by cementing a place in the Ireland team for their Euro 2016 campaign in France. Clark has been named in ex-Villa boss Martin O’Neill’s squad and will be expecting to be a part of things when the Irish begin their campaign against Sweden in Paris.
Whilst he struggled to maintain a regular starting berth at Villa Park this season, the centre-back played a key role in booking Ireland’s place in France. They had to come through a tough two-legged play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in which Clark and Derby’s Richard Keogh superbly marshalled the back four. He managed to keep Edin Dzeko quiet in the second leg and, as the countdown to Euro 2016 begins, you can keep an eye on how Clark and his Irish team-mates will do with all the latest odds and news provided by bookies.com.
After his performances in the qualifiers, particularly the Bosnia games mentioned, Clark will be hopeful of a place in the starting XI when the group stages kick off – and what a test he will be in for as the Irish were landed in the ‘group of death’.
First up, they face a Zlatan inspired Sweden side, before daunting games against Belgium and Italy. From a Villa perspective, it can only bring Clark on as a player with the calibre of opposition he is up against, with Romelu Lukaku and Graziano Pelle bound to provide Clark with more tough challenges. In reality, Ireland are probably outsiders for the group and it if they are to progress a lot will depend on their defensive organisation and determination. However, they will be extremely hopeful of their chances of upsetting the big boys. A 1-0 win over world champions Germany is fresh in the memory and the fact they managed to qualify out of a tough group that included Scotland and Poland as well as the world champions is testament to the work that O’Neill and sidekick Roy Keane, another with ex-Villa connections involved with the Irish camp, have done.
Even if Clark isn’t involved for Ireland, as O’Neill has many central defensive options available to him, the experience of going to a major tournament can only boost his confidence ahead of his return to Villa Park for next season’s Championship campaign. Given his age and ties with the club, having come through the youth ranks, it is time that he nailed down a place after only playing fourteen times in the league last season and the second tier could provide him with a platform to show his worth on a consistent basis.
Overall, Clark and all his Ireland tem-mates will be hoping for a memorable end to the season. If they manage to get out of the horrible group they have been given then you get the feeling the Irish defence will have more than played its part. If he can manage to force his way into the side then there’s no reason why Clark, Aston Villa’s sole representative at Euro 2016, can’t end this sad season on a high.
