The emergence of the youngster has been an added bright point of the campaign
Cathal McCarthy tackles Chelsea’s Estevao during the FA Cup meeting last weekend (Image: Scott Llewellyn/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic admits the club were considering letting Cathal McCarthy out on loan in January, but says the teenager has proven he can play in the Championship and wanted to keep him in his squad.
The young Irishman who arrived at City last summer from University College Dublin (UCD) has been one of the success stories this season and has been a regular part of Jakirovic’s squad throughout the season, ever since making his first team debut against Blackburn Rovers early in the campaign.
McCarthy has made five appearances in the Championship so far this term, and was rewarded for his impressive progress by starting the FA Cup tie with Chelsea on Friday night.
Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search. Help us stay visible by adding us as a Preferred Source in your search settings
At the age of 19, McCarthy delivered an assured performance against Liam Rosenior’s Premier League outfit and gave a glimpse of why he’s so highly thought of by Jakirovic and plenty of observers. Verstilie, the teenager, can play either in the back four or in midfield and has progressed well as the season has worn on, fully deserving his opportunities.
After rebuffing any suggestion that the Republic of Ireland youngster could be loaned out to gain more league experience, Jakirovic reiterated his belief in McCarthy.
“I believe in Macca,” the Croatian said. “He played very well, of course, from the beginning he was a little bit stressed, but I believe in Macca. Maybe the club wanted to send him out on loan, but (I told them) he will have a lot of minutes in this club. He has already shown that he can play in the Championship.”
Here at Hull Live, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Hull City coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group.
You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.