A ninth goal of the season, scored on Saturday, has seen nine-time capped Aaron Connolly beat his previous season best.
Aaron Connolly(Image: INPHO/Ryan Byrne)
With Troy Parrott and Evan Ferguson on fire during Ireland’s World Cup qualification campaign, Aaron Connolly looks to have a real uphill battle if he is to add to his nine senior caps to date.
And with Adam Idah and Johnny Kenny also featuring for Heimir Hallgrímsson, along with Parrott and Ferguson, the Boys in Green boss has an abundance of striker options ahead of the World Cup play-offs next March.
However, Connolly is on fire right now at club level. Although he is now operating in League One with Leyton Orient, it’s hard to ignore the Galwayman’s form.
On Saturday he scored his ninth goal of the season – taking him past his previous season best of eight with more than half a campaign still to run.
Connolly opened the scoring for the O’s in their 4-0 win away to Burton Albion, netting his third goal in his last four appearances.
Not only did Connolly score the first, but he also provided the assists for Orient’s second and third goals, scored by Dom Ballard and Azeem Abdulai.
Ireland’s Aaron Connolly and João Palhinha of Portugal(Image: INPHO/Ryan Byrne)
That led to both managers praising the Irishman, with his own boss Richie Wellens describing Connolly as “electric.”
Wellens said: “I thought Aaron was outstanding and a real threat. I rate their right wing-back, but he gave him a tough game today. Aaron was electric.”
Burton boss Gary Bowyer also dished out the plaudits for Connolly.
“I think he is one of the best two players we have come up against so far this season. In my opinion he shouldn’t be playing at this level,” he said.
Connolly won the last of his nine senior Ireland caps away to France in September 2023.
He made his senior debut as a substitute in 2019 in a scoreless draw away to Georgia under Mick McCarthy, after his two-goal heroics for Brighton against Tottenham.
Connolly’s first start came three days later in a 2-0 defeat in Switzerland, while the rest of his caps were won under Stephen Kenny. He has yet to make a squad under Heimir Hallgrímsson.