Despite the Irish camp being severely disrupted by Covid-19 since Stephen Kenny took over in September 2020, and despite Callum Robinson only recovering from a second bout of the virus last month, (and considering his manager is a genuine risk of suffering from underlying conditions if infected), the West Brom striker openly refuses to be vaccinated.
Robinson, sitting in front of the FAI hash tag 'We Are One,' would not give a reason for his stance when questioned on the matter yesterday afternoon in a small, stuffy room that contained 26 other professionals.
The striker, who has 18 caps for Ireland, the most recent being an inspirational impact off the bench against Serbia last month, inadvertently hijacked a Repeal the Eighth campaign cry.
“I wouldn’t force people to do it,” said the 26-year-old, “it’s your choice and your body.”
Robinson was the only person present who can travel to Azerbaijan, ahead of Saturday's World Cup qualifier, without a vaccine certificate as Uefa have provided exemptions for players.
When questioned about Robinson’s choice, after a long delay behind the scenes, Kenny said it would be “extremely radical” to punish players with international exclusion for refusing to be vaccinated.
“I think for individual associations to just come together to decide not to select any player that hasn’t got it would create as many problems,” said Kenny. “They’re problems we don’t need to have.”
Plenty of problems remain. The biggest of all being Ireland go to Baku seeking a first competitive win from the Dubliner's 16 games in charge.
Kenny strongly disagrees with his in-form centre forward’s decision, and potentially eight other players in the Ireland squad, as conspiracy theories now appear to be accepted canon among a large swathe of professional footballers in England.
“I was very happy to be vaccinated myself and encouraged staff and players,” said Kenny. “Of course, it seems like the most sensible thing to do, and the safest with regard to our environment.
“There are a lot of myths and a lot of issues around virility that people are concerned about and other issues, you know, and I do think it is complex. I am not a medical expert but I do trust the experts and I do think it is better to be double vaccinated.
Individuals’ rights
“But we’re not in a position where we can insist on it and we have to respect individuals’ rights as well. That is something that we have to learn to live with.”
Kenny, by touching upon the virility myth, shows that no scientific proof nor medical paper has a greater reach than Nicki Minaj tweeting to 23 million followers about a friend of her cousin in Trinidad becoming impotent after receiving the vaccine.
Robinson conceded that not being vaccinated could have denied him international caps, most recently the Portugal match in Faro when he was suffering worse effects than last year's illness.
“The first time wasn’t as bad as the second time,” he said. “Smell, taste, the normal symptoms. The second time I had a little bit of a bad chest which was a little bit annoying so it took probably longer to get back to my full fitness and get my energy back because I think it took a little bit more out of me than it did the first time.”
In response to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp's belief that refusing the vaccine is similar to drink driving, as it puts other people at risk, Robinson repeated the line about "personal choice" before adding "it is what it is".
“That’s my choice at this moment in time.”
Some people might think that is unusual, given your second dose of Covid?
“Yeah of course, as I said, it’s obviously annoying that I’ve caught it twice but I haven’t been vaccinated. Further down the line I could change my mind and want to do it but at this moment in time I haven’t been vaccinated, no.”
Why not?
“I just haven’t, I just haven’t done it. I know, as you said, there are managers and people that will want you to do it which is right in their way, the way they think, but everyone has their choice and what they want to do. I wouldn’t force people to do it, it’s your choice and your body.”
When it was explained to Robinson that the vaccine would have given him an enormous statistical chance of avoiding infection the second time, and thus being available to play in Portugal, he repeated: “I know but as I said that was my choice, I haven’t been vaccinated. That’s where I’m at at the moment. Things might change where I want to get vaccinated, I want to do it, but at this moment in time I haven’t made that decision.”
A risk
The entire Ireland squad and staff were tested on arrival into camp and again yesterday. Those who are vaccinated will not be tested again until they seek re-entry to the UK after Saturday’s game, but Robinson and the other unvaccinated players will be tested three more times as the FAI attempts to avoid another outbreak.
When it was pointed out that he is putting other people at risk, Robinson said, “Obviously we do all our tests, we have to test before we come here, we have had our tests already since I have been here, we are testing every two or three days while we are here. So you could say it’s a risk but it’s a risk for everyone, you can still catch it.”
With that opinion went Kenny's rare opportunity of an easy session under the media glare. He did confirm that Aaron Connolly's withdrawal at half-time of last month's 1-all draw with Azerbaijan at the Aviva stadium was tactical but a grade one glute tear was subsequently discovered. Connolly joined the squad late but only Swansea City left back Ryan Manning is a doubt for the weekend.
Kenny's chances of the FAI board granting him a contract extension for the European qualification campaign would be bolstered by Connolly, Robinson, Troy Parrott, Adam Idah or the uncapped 28-year-old Wigan striker Will Keane starting to score goals in a green shirt.
“He [Keane] certainly could be involved, whether we take him in and start him quickly like that, maybe not. But he is a very, very good player. He’s tall, his technique’s very good and he’s very intelligent.”
