Head coach explains why Sheffield United defender is a 'good addition' to Republic of Ireland squad
Liam Kitching made his debut for the Republic of Ireland against Israel on Sunday in the UEFA Nations League.
Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson has admitted that Sheffield United defender Liam Kitching would have been part of his plans sooner had he received the relevant documentation confirming his eligibility to play for the country.
Kitching, who joined the Blades on loan from Coventry City earlier this month, received his maiden Republic of Ireland call-up earlier this month and made his debut in Sunday night’s 3-0 win over Israel.
The Blades loanee started on the left of a back three and completed the full 90 minutes as Hallgrímsson’s side secured their first victory of their UEFA Nations League campaign. Kitching was an unused substitute for last Thursday’s 1-0 defeat to Kosovo.
Kitching, 27, qualifies to represent the Republic of Ireland through his Kildare-born grandmother. It was first reported in 2023 that he was exploring the possibility of representing the Republic of Ireland on the international stage.
Now that he has completed the process and made his debut for the Boys in Green, Hallgrímsson has outlined how Kitching could be a useful addition to his squad, highlighting the benefit of having a left-footed centre-back among his options.
“He has been working on his papers for some time now,” Hallgrímsson recently told Off The Ball. “We knew he was coming. He probably would have been with us in the summer if the papers had been processed.
“So now he’s in, it’s a good window to look at players because we’re together for four weeks. He has a chance to impress, and we have a chance to see him and evaluate him as a person.
“[He is a] brilliant, brilliant, brilliant person, a good character, a good leader and a left-footed centre-back. We don’t have many of those, so he is a good addition to our squad.”