In-form Ireland forward Scott Hogan: I’d like to think that I’m improving
The 30-year-old scored a hat-trick for Birmingham against West Brom in his last game.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.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.
“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 speaking to the manager. I don’t think I’d started a club game for the three months previous, so it was out of the blue. But it just showed that there is always a way back in, as long as you’re performing.
“As you get older you think, ‘I’m not performing at club level, is that going to come around again?’, but the manager has proved that if you are playing well he will pick you, so hopefully I can keep playing well in club football and transfer it to the country.”
Hogan, who made his debut in a 1-0 friendly defeat in Turkey in March 2018, has 11 caps to his name and will hope to add a 12th – and a first international goal – against Scotland at Hampden Park on Saturday as Ireland attempt to repeat their 3-0 home win in June.
He said: “The confidence out there is as high as I’ve ever seen it in an Irish team. It’s just about knowing we can do it and just to believe that is how we want to play, and the more we do, hopefully results like that will come with more regularity.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments