Sherlock called up for U17 World Cup

Soccer

Kevin Óg Carney

Milestones have been falling at Finn Sherlock's house on Cootehill’s Ballybay Road over recent seasons like autumn leaves; naturally, predictably.

Last Thursday’s media release from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) sketched another landmark day for Cootehill Harps’ former starlet.

The day was one of vindication for young Sherlock’s ‘erstwhile underage coaches at Cootehill Harps and Shelbourne, his current Bundesliga employers (Hoffenheim), his family and the people of his home town as they celebrated his selection on the Ireland 2025 U17 World Cup soccer squad.

That Sherlock was handed a ticket to Qatar surprised no one au fait with his progress to date though.

Fact is, despite the luminous left-back’s insistence that “nothing is a given” in soccer, the classy defender was deemed by shrewd, seasoned observers of the underage game nationally to have been a shoo-in for selection on the World Cup squad.

“I was hoping I’d get the nod but I was taking nothing for granted,” the Germany-based professional told the Anglo-Celt.

“One of the big things about our squad is that everyone has to fight hard to keep their place in the pecking order because of the competition for places.

“If you’re in the starting line-ups, it’s a big thing but you know that there’s at least one or maybe two fellas nipping at your heels to try and get the jersey off you and that’s the really healthy thing about this squad. Everyone is pushing each other for positions.”

A prodigious talent, Sherlock was an ever-present in Ireland’s six World Cup qualifying games this year and was one of the team’s stand-out players on the side that beat Iceland 5-0 last March which sealed qualification for the World Cup finals in Doha next month.

“The thought of playing in a World Cup is unreal,” Sherlock enthused.

“It’s such a big stage; the biggest stage of all. We know that there’ll not be just a certain section of people watching us next month but a worldwide audience. It’ll be a great experience for myself and all the lads in the squad.”

And his/their expectations? How does he think things will go for Ireland in the 48-team World Cup?

“There’ll be a lot of big-name teams out there and I’m sure some of them will be looking down on us and even writing us off but we’re hoping we can fly under the radar and surprise them.

“We are honestly looking towards getting a good run in the competition and even though this is the first major tournament this squad has ever competed in, we’ve got a good lot of self-belief and we’re all confident in our own ability.

“The fact that we didn’t qualify for the Euros means that the big guns from that tournament like Portugal and Italy won’t be expecting anything much from us. But we’re looking at the games in Qatar as a huge opportunity for the squad to make a statement. The matches are definitely going to be all big challenges to overcome but we just can’t wait to take them on.”

Sherlock and Co are expected to be one of the youngest squads competing in Qatar but the Cootehill Colossus is forecast to take things in his long, loping stride with energy, vigour and vaulting ambition.

“You have to have confidence in your own ability in this game,” he says with the same degree of assertiveness that coloured his captaincy of the Ireland U16s earlier this year.

“Being part of such a great squad gives you a boost, confidence-wise, and qualifying for the World Cup adds to that.

“We believe in ourselves. We listen to our coaches and focus on ourselves and what we can do on the pitch and hopefully we can get the slice of luck that every player, every team needs, to be successful.”

Sherlock will fly out this coming Saturday from Frankfurt airport to Qatar to join his Ireland team-mates as they begin preparations for their World Cup group games on November 5, November 8 and November 11.

All three of Ireland’s group games will be broadcast live on RTE television.