Dundalk pair credit Ireland call-ups to Europa League exploits
Tuesday 8 November 2016 18:27, UK
Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle have credited their Republic of Ireland call-ups to Dundalk's unlikely Europa League exploits.
Dundalk were crowned SSE Airtricity League champions for the third successive season last month and currently sit in second place in Group D behind leaders Zenit St Petersburg on four points from as many games and with a genuine chance of progressing to the next stage of the competition.
Winger Horgan and central defender Boyle have played key roles in the club's success, and that has not gone unnoticed by Ireland boss Martin O'Neill, who included the pair in his initial squad of 35 and then the final 28 for Saturday's World Cup Qualifier in Austria.
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Both men are aware of the step up in class that will involve, but are confident their European experience will serve them well.
Horgan, 24, said: "Playing in the Europa League has definitely helped. The style of football would be more akin to international football than probably the League of Ireland itself, so that will definitely help.
"When you play the likes of Zenit with 17 internationals - I think, they have - you do adapt a bit quicker, so hopefully that will help."
Several players in O'Neill's squad - Seamus Coleman, James McClean and Kevin Doyle to name just three - have started their careers in the League of Ireland before rising to prominence after moving to clubs in England.
However, Horgan believes he and Boyle have proved that Irish-based players can still make it to international level.
He said: "The level we are playing at at the minute in the Europa League, if you do go to England and the Championship, it's very, very unlikely that you will play at that level ever again.
"I think we have shown as a team at Dundalk that we can compete at a high level, and that there is a lot of quality in the League of Ireland."
