Heimir Hallgrimsson: 'Festy Ebosele has blown Irish minds with his speed'

Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson has claimed that Festy Ebosele has impressed him and the Irish squad with his electric speed.

The Watford player is back in the Ireland fold after an impressive display against Finland in Helsinki last month. The young Ireland winger contributed an assist in that match, helping Ireland secure a notable victory on the road in October. He also played in the Greece game three days later.

This month, Ireland faces England at Wembley and Finland in Dublin in the latest batch of Nations League games. With Chiedozie Ogbene sidelined by a serious injury, Ebosele now has an opportunity to cement his place in the Ireland squad.

Speaking at his squad announcement press conference, Hallgrimsson praised the Wexford native for his exciting talent and speed, noting that he is now "knocking on the door" of the first team.

“Festy is a bit of different kind of player. He’s really exciting and can do things that just blow your mind with that speed,” said Hallgrimsson.

“Nobody can define Festy as just one thing because he can play in multiple positions. That’s his strength. He came on against Finland and was really good—a decisive factor in that win. Maybe he wasn’t as good against Greece, but he definitely showed that he can change games. It’s great for him that he’s knocking on the door.”

Robbie Brady and Festy Ebosele of Republic of Ireland celebrate (Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Ireland’s hopes of reaching a two-legged playoff in March against a second-placed League C team depend on the results in the England and Finland games. A win against the Finns and a loss to England would likely place Ireland third in their group.

The Icelandic coach acknowledged that both upcoming games present different challenges for his Ireland side.

“Finland is the decisive game in the group,” he said. “That’s why we separate these games because they’re definitely two different challenges.”

If Ireland finishes third in a group where many expected them to finish last, Hallgrimsson admitted he would be pleased but cautioned that it doesn’t guarantee World Cup qualification.

“I’d be reasonably happy with two wins, but it won’t qualify us for a major tournament,” Hallgrimsson said.

The World Cup qualifying draw takes place on December 13, and Ireland is expected to be third seeds, which would make qualification for 2026 challenging. Hallgrimsson acknowledged this, adding, “Absolutely. That’s why we need to improve against the bigger teams.

“We’ll definitely face two teams ranked higher than us. Looking back at the Greece game away, they had much more possession and dominance in the first half but couldn’t score. That’s something we need to replicate. Even without possession, we can still be in the game, and if we’re defensively solid, we only need one goal to win. If we want to qualify, the task is to compete with the stronger teams without conceding.”

Ireland is set to welcome Finland to Dublin on Thursday, November 14, with kick-off at 7:45 pm at the Aviva Stadium, before playing England at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, November 17, with kick-off at 5 pm.