Wolves' Connor Ronan thriving in Slovakia

The 21-year-old, after a couple of hit-and-miss loan spells with Portsmouth and Walsall, is with Slovakian top flight side Dunajska Streda for the rest of the season.

Ronan is out of contract at Molineux at the end of the season, although Wolves have an option to keep him on for another season.

He said moves to the lower leagues of English football didn't suit him.

And the midfielder, who starred with a man-of-the-match display in Ireland Under-21's 3-0 win over Luxembourg on Sunday, is playing his best football in years.

"I'm loving it over in Slovakia at the minute," he told the Irish Independent.

"I started the last two games, played 90 minutes and I feel like I've impressed and taken my form from that into the international.

"I think it just depends on what type of player you are. Some players drop down to League One and League Two and thrive on it. It suits them but didn't suit me.

"I feel like I am thriving over there and probably playing my best football in a few years. I had a bit more time on this occasion and could see that the team would suit me.

"Once I knew how they played, from watching videos and chatting to Wolves staff who had been over there, my mind was made up.

"It's a small town situation about an hour into Bratislava, an hour-and-a-half into Vienna and two hours from Budapest. I brought my car over there and I'm hoping to get about and try to see a few places before I leave in the summer."

Ronan was born in Rochdale but qualifies for the Republic via his grandparents, who are from Kilkenny and Galway.

He's not considering following in Declan Rice's footsteps and switching to England, should the chance arise.

"No, I'm happy with Ireland, he added.

"England hadn't shown any interest in me until I'd been called into my first Ireland squad at U-17 level.

"I got a feel for the England set-up but I settled into the Ireland camp from the second I came in. I met up with a great set of lads and everything just went right. It was an easy decision."

"Every time I put that green shirt on (my grandparents are) always in the back of my mind. It's because of them that I'm here."

Meanwhile Ireland Under-21 boss Stephen Kenny, who will replace Mick McCarthy as boss of the senior side in 2020, praised Ronan for having the guts to make the move to Slovakia.

“Everybody’s had kicks in the teeth in football,” Kenny said. "Very few people have had just upward curves in their career. Connor had a spell on loan down the leagues in England and it hasn’t gone well for him and he’s gone to Slovakia.

"You have to have guts about you to go to Slovakia and take that chance on.

"He’s had a few weeks out there of not playing, just getting himself into the team. I watched him play the last few weeks and he’s done very well."