By James West
Blackburn Rover’s midfielder Sammie Szmodics, 28, has been called up for the Republic of Ireland’s national team.
Here’s everything you need to know:
Early career
In his journey from the U10s to the U16s, Szmodics received invites from Premier League side Arsenal but turned it down. He opted for his local side,Colchester United. His reasoning for the decision was his family “were the biggest Colchester United fans and all I wanted to do was play for them”.
After 142 appearances spanning six years and a loan to Braintree Town, he signed for Championship side Bristol City in June 2019 – ending a 16-year commitment with his childhood club.
Playing in the Championship
The midfielder made four appearances in five months for Bristol City. He then signed for Peterborough United on a six-month loan deal making ten appearances and scoring four goals.
Following a successful loan stint, he signed permanently for The Posh for over £1m. He gained a lot of interest from other clubs including former Premier League sides Sunderland and Portsmouth.
After completing his first season at Peterborough he netted himself 16 goals in all competitions, playing a vital part in his side’s promotion to the Championship.
Blackburn Rovers
The former Premier League champions signed Szmodics on a four-year contract in August of 2022 for an undisclosed fee.
On his first appearance for Rovers, he scored in a 3-0 win over Swansea.
Szmodics has been their star player this season. He is currently the Blue & White’s top scorer with 21 goals in 35 appearances this season.
International career
Born in England, Szmodics is also eligible to represent Hungary and the Republic of Ireland thanks to his County Longford-born grandmother and Hungarian-born grandfather.
He received his first call-up in May 2021 for Ireland’s friendlies against Andorra and Hungary but was ruled out due to a shoulder problem in training, cancelling his debut.
In October 2023, he earned another call-up for UEFA Euro qualifiers against Greece and Gibralter but withdrew due to personal reasons.
His form has been noticed by Ireland manager Stephen Kenny, being called up for Ireland’s friendlies against Belgium and Switzerland.
Hungary manager Marco Rossi criticised Szmodics for allegedly leaking information to the media regarding Rossi’s attempt to convince him to switch his allegiance to Hungary ahead of the 2024 Euros.
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