Aaron Connolly 'couldn't say yes quick enough' when Republic of Ireland manager Jim Crawford gave him the call

The recalled Aaron Connolly couldn't say yes quick enough when Republic of Ireland under-21 manager Jim Crawford rang to get him on board for the crucial play-off matches with Israel.

Connolly starred in a 1-1 draw, earning player of the match in a performance that will have impressed senior boss Stephen Kenny.

"It was only about two weeks ago I spoke to Jim," said Connolly.

"I spoke to (current FAI football consultant) John Morling first. And he just said would I be interested and I couldn't say yes quick enough.

"Then I spoke to Jim and he talked me through how it's going to pan out. He said come in, work hard and we'll go from there so that’s what I done. So I'm just looking to build on that performance now."

He was a constant thorn in the side of the Israeli defence, the little and large combination of Connolly and strike partner Evan Ferguson causing Guy Luzon's side headaches.

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