Ipswich Town international round-up: Jack Taylor makes long-awaited Republic of Ireland debut while Nathan Broadhead gets first minutes of season with Wales

Ipswich Town’s Jack Taylor has spoke of his pride after making long-awaited international debut for the Republic of Ireland while Blues team-mate Nathan Broadhead got back on the pitch for Wales for his first competitive minutes of the season.

London-born central midfielder Taylor described the moment he made his bow for the country of his County Longford-born grandfather – as a 57th minute substitute in the 2-0 defeat away to Greece in the Nations League in Group B2 on Sunday – as ‘an incredibly proud moment’.

It ended a four-year wait – since his first senior call-up for The Boys in Green for a Nations League fixture with Bulgaria in Dublin in November 2020 – to gain his first cap with the player Town signed from Peterborough United in the summer of 2023 having been included in a number of subsequent squads.

Taylor, who had impressed new Irish boss Heimir Hallgrímsson.across five substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, was an unused substitute for the 2-1 win in Finland on Thursday before finally seeing action ahead of the hour mark on Sunday evening in the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, Attica.

He entered the action as the Irish looked to pull level after going behind in a match which saw Town team-mates Chiedozie Ogbene, Dara O’Shea and Sammie Szmodics all start for the second time in a week.

Having played in the more advanced midfield role that he has been used in this season under Kieran McKenna, Taylor, speaking to Irish station RTE, said: “It was an incredibly proud moment for me and my family, coming on in such a hostile atmosphere and we were obviously 1-0 down when I came on.

“I thought if I bring some energy we’ll definitely get a goal back and I think we deserved a point in the end.”

Reflecting on the role he was asked to play, he said: “I played behind Troy (Parrott, former Town loanee now with AZ Alkmaar) when I came on, just to try and get on the ball and try and feed passes into the wide players and get into the box when it was there.

“I thought I did okay, but plenty more to come from me.”

Manager Hallgrímsson was pleased with Taylor’s display in his debut and the impact he has had in training.

He said: “He is one of a few players in this camp, in these two games, that came in and changed things, and that is what you want to see when you put in substitutes.”

Broadhead returns to action

Meanwhile, last night saw Nathan Broadhead get his first competitive minutes of the season as he returned to action for Craig Bellamy’s Wales side in the 1-0 win against Montenegro at Cardiff City Stadium in their Nations League B – Group 4 fixture.

The wide forward player, who was Town’s joint top scorer with 13 goals last season as they completed back-to-back promotions into the Premier League, came on in the 67th minute for Fulham’s Harry Wilson. He went on to a fluff a chance to extend his side’s lead, which came as a result of Wilson’s 36th minute penalty.

It came after the player signed from Everton for a reported £1.5 million in January 2023 had been working his way back to fitness following a hamstring injury picked up at the end of July in pre-season without being included in a match day squad yet for McKenna’s side.

It marked former Sunderland loanee Broadhead’s first game action since a 4-0 defeat with Wales back on June 9, while his last Town appearance was back in the 2-1 win away to Coventry City in the Blues’ penultimate Championship fixture on April 30.

Fellow Town wide player Wes Burns started the game against Montenegro on the left flank and went close to opening the scoring with a 12th minute header and also left a defender on the floor after a Maradona-esque swivel turn.

He was withdrawn at the same time as Broadhead entered the fray, in the 69th minute.

Trio in line for Tuesday action

Meanwhile, three Town players will be hoping to get minutes for their countries today, ahead of returning to Playford Road for the build-up to the Suffolk’s side home Premier League match with Broadhead’s former club, Everton, on Saturday (3pm).

Cameron Burgess’ Australia are up first with an AFC World Cup Qualifier away to Japan in Group C kicking off at 11.35am BST with the central defender confirmed as starting.

The Blues’ record club signing, Omari Hutchinson, will be hoping to dazzle under the lights at Bristol City’s Ashton Gate for England Under-21s against Azerbiajan (7.30pm) in Group F of their UEFA Under 21 Championship Qualifiers.

Finally, Town number one, Aro Muric, has a home Nations League – League C, Group 2 fixture with Cyprus (7.45pm BST) that is likely to see him on the bench again, having been sent home in disgrace from the last international camp following what was reported to be an unauthorised trip to a nightclub.