As a 33-year-old on the brink of his 50th cap tomorrow, and unlike his peers Robbie Brady and Shane Duffy, without major tournament experience, Doherty fits into Whelan’s target category.
'That’s not true at all': Doherty hits back at Whelan's 'no hurt' comments
Ireland's Matt Doherty celebrates scoring his side's second goal. Pic: Kostadin Andonov/Inpho
No matter how much Matt Doherty tunes out of the Ireland football discourse he’s unable to avoid the cacophony of noise.
Especially so when the flak originates from players who've been there.
Stephen Kelly highlighted during his punditry Doherty losing his marker in the build-up to the second goal of the 2-0 defeat to Greece.
Then came an arguably deeper cut from Glenn Whelan – that Ireland players became so accustomed to losing it doesn't seem to hurt them.
As a 33-year-old on the brink of his 50th cap tomorrow, and unlike his peers Robbie Brady and Shane Duffy, without major tournament experience, Doherty fits into Whelan’s target category.
One of his better days in an Ireland shirt came in Thursday’s trip to Bulgaria, when he barrelled forward to head home the winner, but Doherty brushed off the negativity and flatly rejected Whelan’s opinion.
“No - that’s not true at all,” he declared about the comments from the former midfielder, who was part of the coaching staff for four games last year before Heimir Hallgrímsson was appointed.
“It’s easy to say that but we’re professionals representing our country so of course it hurts when we lose. I don’t think that’s correct at all.
“We were losing a lot of games in bad ways. It was hurting all of us. None of us were leaving camps feeling anyway good about ourselves from losing games.
“When we lose, it hurts the lads.”
Not so the stick from Kelly, nor fellow pundits.
“I don’t really know that much which was said. Just a few things here and there, maybe there was more criticism than I know,” he explained.
“I’m a big boy and have said I’ll take all the criticism in the world. That’s not going to change my mindset or how I feel at all.”
Doherty suffered the cost of his wanderings as a substitute against the Greeks by being culled from the squad.
Hallgrímsson recalled him for the November window when injuries necessitated vacancies being filled. His consistent form with Wolves, operating within a back three, convinced him he’d withstand competition from rivals to land the right-back slot.
“I was confident alright,” he said.
“I know Jake O’Brien is playing very well for Everton and we have a lot of options at right-back.
“But as long as I’m playing well at club level, which I am, then I feel I can play the game at a very high level.
“I understand that when I make mistakes it can look bad because of the way that I play.
“But I feel I can also make the game look easy at times too.
“I had to get myself back in the Wolves team and stay there, keeping match fit. I’ve managed to do that and take the form into this international window.
“I never get too excited about things, nor get too down.
"We could have lost to Bulgaria and I might have put one in my own net but my attitude would be just the same.
“I think I have a great mindset when it comes to football and when it comes to other things.”