WHEN Harry Arter pulled out of the Ireland squad ahead of the international break once again, murmurs of discontent rumbled among the Republic faithful.
Capped three times by Ireland, the 26-year-old is yet to feature for his adopted country in a competitive game, and that spelled trouble for Martin O’Neill.
Praised for his all-round midfield abilities, in particular his capacity to execute a pinpoint pass, London-born Arter has earned rave reviews for his performances in a Bournemouth shirt this season.
So good has he been at Premier League level, the Cherries’ on-loan midfielder Jack Wilshere has publicly placed Arter among the top midfielders he’s played with in a career largely spent with Arsenal and England.
Having been denied a place at the Euros through injury, Arter’s big chance in a competitive game looked to be on the horizon against Serbia last month, but instead he sat idle on the bench as Ireland scrapped to a 2-2 draw.
That decision not to introduce Arter when Ireland needed stability in midfield against the Serbs left O’Neill vulnerable.
Fast forward a month, and calls from English fans and pundits for the FA to prise the in-form midfielder away from Ireland and into the squad of the nation of his birth have been gaining momentum.
Inevitably, after his withdrawal through injury ahead of Thursday’s 1-0 win over Georgia, rumours emerged of Arter’s apparent desire to switch allegiance.
The unfounded doubt all began with the hilarity of two misinformed pundits (Jeff Stelling and Paul Merson of Sky Sports, as below) discussing Arter’s England prospects, oblivious to the fact that he is already an Ireland international.
Funny as it was, it got people talking. Arter can actually still play for England, they said, and he does appear to be good enough if he wanted to.
“It's news to me,” said O’Neill, when asked by journalists if he was aware of the suggestion that Arter wants to switch to England, before conceding that it is possible.
“He's obviously not played a competitive game for us. But the choice is very much with the player.”
That was not exactly a reassuring response from the national manager, but it is understood that O’Neill has since made contact with Arter to clarify the situation.
Arter’s response? That he is most definitely committed to the Ireland cause.
It has been a prime case of how the mass and social media can create a make-belief story out of nothing, and one hopes this will not damage Arter’s rapport with the Republic camp, who he has spoken warmly of in the past for their support during a difficult time in his private life (his fiancée had given birth to their stillborn daughter).
That Arter, who qualifies for Ireland through his Sligo-born grandparents, is still dedicated to Ireland – the nation he has represented at Under-17 and Under-19 level – will come as a sigh of relief to O’Neill having been given a fright by the media.
Ireland desperately need a player of Arter’s type, with the current side’s lack of creativity a clear worry during the dour performance against a weak Georgia side at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday.
Arter’s rotten luck in an Ireland shirt is overdue a break and, if fit, he could be a vital player when O'Neill takes his side to Austria on November 12, arguably the toughest game of the qualifying campaign.
O’Neill got slated for not tying down Jack Grealish with a competitive cap – even though the Aston Villa midfielder’s reluctance to accept the call stood in his way – but having had Arter’s future in the palm of his hand, he’ll face scrutiny if another one gets away.
Will O’Neill live to regret the decision not to bring him on against Serbia? Thankfully, it now looks doubtful.
