Jayson Molumby is planning to take his frustration out on Nations League rivals England after allowing it to get the better of him during pre-season.
The 25-year-old West Brom midfielder hopes to make his first appearance for the Republic of Ireland since November when they host Lee Carsley’s side in Dublin on Saturday after hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons during the summer.
In footage shared widely on social medical, Molumby aimed a blow at an opponent during a warm-up fixture against Real Mallorca, in the process earning himself a five-match friendly ban, and he admits that loss of control was due in part to the foot injury which had sidelined him since January.
Asked if that lay-off had contributed towards the incident, Molumby told reporters: “Yeah, probably, to be honest.
“It was the build-up of six or seven months before that, a lot of frustration, a lot of anger. Obviously I didn’t handle myself the best there and was probably going through a difficult time.
“It’s obviously something I’m not proud of, but I’m only human as well. I have emotions as well and I can only hold my hands up when I’m wrong.
“Off the pitch, I’m not an aggressive person at all, I’m quite calm and relaxed. But I think I just go into competitive mode when I cross the line. It’s a different ball game.
“Managers throughout my career have tried to calm me down a little bit. It’s just about me channelling that and putting it into the right things, and I feel as if I’ve done that.”
Molumby will hope to win his 25th cap at the weekend under new Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson having been fast-tracked to the senior ranks by predecessor Stephen Kenny, his former manager at under-21s level.
Hallgrimsson raised eyebrows last month when he suggested his team needed a “b*****d” as he attempts to restore the team’s fortunes, although Molumby is not convinced he is that man.
He said with a smile: “No, I don’t think so. I don’t know where that came from. Only he knows. I don’t even know how to answer that.”
Kenny replaced Mick McCarthy in April 2020 and vowed to play a more expansive brand of football, packing his squad with young players and urging them to express themselves.
He left in November after presiding over just six victories in 29 competitive matches, a return upon which Molumby and his teammates are desperate to improve.
The midfielder said: “There’s no more excuses for us anymore. We were young lads coming in, but now we’ve got the experience.
“It’s not good enough any more to say, ‘Ah, you’re young’ or whatever. We’re experienced now at international level. It’s time to kick on for us.
“For us as a group we need to start taking the next step. Competing isn’t enough anymore, we want to actually start getting points, hopefully starting on Saturday.”
