Sheridan prepares for Cypriot Cup final

Bailieborough's Cillian Sheridan may be enjoying the most prolific season of his career but he remains out in the cold as regards international selection.

The former Cavan minor footballer has scored 15 league goals and three in the Europa League for Cypriot club Omonia this season and they have qualified for the cup final against Apollon on May 18.

“Since January I’ve been consistently in the starting line-up and involved in lots of goals. Playing the full 90 minutes also helps. Before, I was taken off with 15 or 20 minutes to go in a match. I never thought much about it before but it seems obvious now that the longer you’re on the pitch, the more of an impact you can have,” Cillian told The42.ie.

“During my time at Celtic, I probably didn’t use the loans to my benefit. I was going to smaller teams with different training facilities and I was a bit fed up. In the back of my head, I knew I was going back to Celtic at the end of the season.”

Sheridan is the last Irish player to have played in the Champions League, having been part of the APOEL squad that made the group stage last season and was drawn with Barcelona, PSG and Ajax.

As regards international selection, his hopes of making the Irish squad for the Euros remain extremely faint after he was omitted from Martin O'Neill's recent 40-man training squad.

“It’s not a decision I can make, I just have to keep scoring, it’s nothing I can force. Maybe I’m not the type of player they want. The squad doesn’t seem to change too much.”

“I’m not an U21 player coming through. I’m still young but I’m not the next generation. I had the honour to play for Cavan at minor level, and playing for Ireland is definitely the pinnacle for me.”

Read the full interview with The42.ie here.