In-form Ireland forward Scott Hogan: I’d like to think that I’m improving

Republic of Ireland striker Scott Hogan is confident he has not yet reached his peak after finally finding happiness in his career.

The much-travelled Birmingham frontman (30) met up with his international colleagues having been rewarded for his current run of good form with a Sky Bet Championship hat-trick in a 3-2 win at West Brom last week.

However, asked about where his game is, he said: “I don’t like to think that I’m peaking, I’d like to think that I’m improving.

Last time out in the @SkyBetChamp! ⚽⚽⚽ pic.twitter.com/p3r5ahlZNt

— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) September 17, 2022

“I’m happy now at my club, which is the first time that I’ve been able to say that in four or five years, so I feel comfortable. I’m allowed to be myself and the main thing is that I’m finally happy.

“I feel happy playing my football, I enjoy going in, so in terms of peaking, I hope not. We always want to keep going and to get better.

“I’m 30 now and around this time you generally peak, they say, but I’m hoping that I keep going. I look after myself and hopefully this is just the start.”

Former Rochdale trainee Hogan earned a £9million move to Aston Villa from Brentford in January 2017, but his 61 appearances over three-and-a-half seasons at Villa Park yielded just 10 goals and after loan spells at Sheffield United, Stoke and Birmingham, he joined Blues on a permanent basis in September 2022.

During a difficult spell in his career, Hogan went two-and-a-half years without an Ireland cap until he came off the bench in March’s 1-0 friendly win over Lithuania, and he was handed a first start in 33 months by Stephen Kenny in the 1-1 Nations League draw with Ukraine in Poland in June.

Hogan admitted: “It was just totally unexpected. I remember