Heimir Hallgrímsson has refused to rule out an international return for David McGoldrick, telling LOI Talk “If you’re good enough, you’re good enough” when asked about a potential Ireland recall.
Hallgrímsson spoke to LOI Talk’s Ben Cooley and David Hernon at Eamonn Deacy Park tonight where he attended the Premier Division clash between Galway United and Dundalk that finished 2-2.
So are you saying there’s a chance
Ben from @loi_talk spoke to Heimir Hallgrimsson at Eamonn Deacy Park this evening and was asked about Didzy returning to the Ireland fold in March. pic.twitter.com/JXteIQUn8V
— Reptracker | Conor McEvoy (@reptracker) March 6, 2026
With a number of injury concerns heading into the World Cup playoff semi final with Czechia in 20 days time, Could we potentially see David McGoldrick put on the green shirt for the first since since October 2020?
When asked about McGoldrick who has scored 12 goals in 28 appearances for Barnsley in League one this season Hallgrímsson replied:
It would be the same answer as to the young players. And you said it yourself, if you’re good enough, you’re good enough. We’ve shown what we think, Seamus Coleman, for example, some of the coaches will probably not do it because he’s not playing much, but we know his quality. And if there’s quality and experience, you always have a chance to play with the national team.
McGoldrick last appeared for Ireland in the Euro 2020 play-off semi-final against Slovakia in October 2020 before announcing his international retirement a month later. However, with the forward continuing to perform at club level, speculation has occasionally resurfaced about whether the 37-year-old could yet add to his 14 international caps.
When talking about the preparations for the Czechia, Hallgrímsson said everything was “going to plan” as he looks to steer Ireland to their first World Cup appearance since 2002 and their first major tournament appearance since UEFA Euro 2016.
As Ireland continue to search for attacking options, Hallgrímsson’s comments suggest that international selection will ultimately come down to performance rather than age or past decisions. While a return for David McGoldrick may still seem unlikely, the Ireland manager made it clear that the door is not firmly shut , reinforcing his belief that, at international level, if you’re good enough, you’re good enough.
You can watch our full interview with Heimir here!