FINN AZAZ knows the further he goes at club level, the further he will go with Ireland.
The Middlesbrough attacking midfielder has been one of the star turns from the Heimir Hallgrimsson reign to date, particularly for his goal and assist in the Nations League double header with Bulgaria.
That was in keeping with the form he showed for Boro that saw him score 12 goals and provide 11 assists in 45 Championship games last term.
Azaz’s performances have made him a wanted man.
SunSport revealed in March that Crystal Palace are keen, while Bournemouth and Leeds United are also tracking the ace.
Under contract at Boro — who yesterday appointed Rob Edwards as their new manager — until 2028, Azaz insisted he is happy at the Riverside.
But he also admitted that he has ambitions to play in a top league, and it does not need to be said that playing at a higher level would advance his Ireland ambitions.
Azaz said: “I’m playing at a high level now. The Championship is a really competitive league and it’s a really good league. I think it’s ranked sixth or seventh in Europe.
“I’ve got a contract with Boro of course, my focus is on pre-season at the moment.
“I’m really happy at my club. I’ve had a great year. I’ve got a lot of respect for everyone at the club and it’s been amazing for me the last 18 months here. I had a great season personally so obviously I want to keep developing and my ambition is to play at the highest level.
“Whether that be the Premier League or going abroad, I want to play at the highest level.
“I’m fully aware that there’s a lot of Premier League players in the Irish team and I’m looking at the World Cup qualifiers and the World Cup next summer.
“I’m fully aware that you want to be playing against the best players week in, week out, to be in the best position possible for the World Cup qualifiers.
“In international football, the physicality of the opposition is sharper, it’s better. There are higher quality players.
“Look at England, look at Hungary, look at Bulgaria as well, they play in top leagues, at top clubs as well.
“People are sharper in the mind, quality is higher.
“It’s a massive step up but I want to be playing at the highest level and I’ve got to prove myself at the highest level to show that I can play at that highest level.
“I felt confident and I felt comfortable in terms of level I’m at. I am still having to prove myself at international level. I feel like I have now.
“But I’m not going to sit here and say that I’ve nailed down that position which I don’t think is the case. But I always believed in myself and the target was to be a starter in that team and be one of the main players in terms of going forward and creating things. That’s been my target for the last two or three years to be in that position, I believe that I could do it.
“And that’s still the aim to become that player and to be starting in that position every game.”
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Azaz, 24, has looked at home on the international stage in his seven caps to date, and could easily fit into a continental side with what he terms “comfortable” French and Spanish.
Indeed, he acted as Spanish translator for his pals on his recent holiday in South America that included visiting Machu Picchu, while he still alternates monthly between swotting up on the two languages.
The former Aston Villa player, who caught the eye on loan at Newport and then Plymouth, added: “I understood the significance of being able to speak multiple languages and I also really enjoy it.
“I wasn’t looking at like, ‘I want to play abroad’, but I was just like, these are great skills to have and a lot of people are really jealous of it now, to be honest.
“In terms of moving abroad, all I’d say is that I’m happy now, but I’d be comfortable if the right opportunity arose.
“I’ll be fully focused on pre-season. I’m not going to give a lot of my energy to things that are out of my control.”
