Man City's Joe Hodge confident he can meet physical demands of League of Ireland

The 2020 Man City 'Scholar of the Year' insists it was his decision to join the Candy Stripes on a six month loan deal and believes he can flourish at the Brandywell club.

Shamrock Rovers, Waterford and St Patrick's Athletic were among the clubs who enquired about bringing the dynamic midfielder on a short term loan this month, however, Hodge favoured a move to Foyleside.

He was part of Man City's 2020 FA Youth Cup winning team who defeated Chelsea at St George's Park last November and he's expected to be included in Jim Crawford's Republic of Ireland U21 panel for the upcoming European qualifiers.

The Manchester-born midfielder's career is on an upward trajectory and he believes playing senior men's football with Derry will only take him onto the next level and a step closer to his dream of playing English Premiership football with his boyhood club, Man City.

"The transfer window was coming to a close in England and I wanted to move to the Football League at first," he admitted. "Nothing happened before the end of the window.

"I had heard good things about Derry and had been speaking to people about the League of Ireland and Derry in particular. So when the chance came to come here after the deadline was done in England I thought it was a good opportunity that I should take.

"To be honest the decision to come here was off my own back and I wanted to come here and test myself and experience something different.

"For myself I just want to improve as a player, experience something different because it is different. I want to come and test myself and try and improve."

He's played alongside Derry City Reserves midfielder Ronan McKinley in the Republic of Ireland underage set-up while former Finn Harps midfielder Fergal Harkin oversees Man City's transfer and loan operation and will have advised him on his move to Ireland.

First team opportunities is ultimately his aim for the next six months but what attracted him to a move to Brandywell Stadium?

"I just spoke to people from Derry and people who I know who used to play for the club and who live nearby and all of them said good things about the style of play, the gaffer and what the team's like," he said.

"So everything I heard about the club was positive. It wasn't anything against the other teams who showed an interest, it's just that I heard good things about Derry and I wanted to come here."

It was a brave decision to move to Ireland but he believes it was his best option at this stage in his promising career.

"I suppose it is a brave decision," he agreed. "It's the first time living away from home as well but it's something I have to do. I can't sit around in the U23s. I need to experience some first team football and it was the best thing to do when the opportunity came about. So I couldn't say no!"

Watching fellow Man City U23 teammates Jayden Braaf (Udinese) and Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Blackburn Rovers) head out on loan this month, Hodge wasn't prepared to wait about.

He's watched the likes of Tommy Doyle, James McEtee, Liam Delap and Cole Palmer progress to the fringes of the first team this season and that remains his main goal.

Hodge is small in stature and while he expects League of Ireland football to be a challenge, he's relishing the prospect and is confident he will adapt his game quickly.

"It's going to be harder coming into a man's league compared to playing U23 football," he said. "But I'm sort of an aggressive player anyway and certainly wouldn't shy away from a challenge.

It's definitely something I think I'll be able to adapt to.

"I would say I'm a pretty well balanced midfielder," he added when asked what Derry fans can expect to see this year. "I put myself about and cover a lot of distance. I'm aggressive in the challenge and on the ball I like to play it simple, try and play it forwards, try and play it quickly. I just try to be as dynamic as possible."

Described as 'the heartbeat of his age-group sides' from U9s to the U23s, Hodge is well accustomed to pressure.

While he's been assured of gametime for Derry this season, he reckons he's going to have to earn his place in Declan Devine's starting XI.

"I'm going to have to earn it if I want my place in the team," he said. "I'm going to have to make sure I'm worthy of it," added Hodge who earned his first professional contract with City last summer.

"It's not just going to be handed to me. I have to come here and perform and work hard. Hopefully if I can do that I will get some gametime."

He's already settled into his new surroundings at Brandywell and based on his first impressions of his new teammates he expects the standard to be high.

"I'm delighted it's done now and I'm excited to get started," he added. "Training has been really good. It's been tough with all the running and everything but it's been good. It's all fitness work so I don't mind that.

"I get on with everyone over here and I know people here. There's people in my team going on loan and they're getting first team football and that's what I want to do. I want to get as many first team games as possible because it's only going to make me a better player.

"I got on with everyone really well since I got here. They're all good lads and it seems like a closely knit team.

"The stadium is obviously really nice, the pitch is nice and I've liked everything about it really.

"The standard in training has been good too so I know it's going to be a test coming here."

His stunning debut goal for the Republic of Ireland U19s against Norway at the European U19 Championships in Armenia enhanced his credentials in 2019 and he's already trained with the Ireland U21s.

He hopes to be involved in this year's U21 European Championship qualifying campaign and in this summer's Toulon tournament and so he hopes his performances with Derry give him every chance of selection.

"Playing for the Republic is also definitely something that's made it an easier decision to come here.

"I'm fortunate for everything that's happened over the past 12 months to get where I am now but I have worked hard. If I didn't work as hard as I have done I wouldn't be in the position I'm in now. There's also definitely some luck involved in terms of how far I've come.

"Of course I'd like to push on into the U21 squad. I'm still eligible for the U19s as well. Hopefully those fixtures go ahead and I get the chance to play in those if I'm not called up to the U21s.

"I'm going to have to earn it because there's some top [players in that squad. I trained with them last September or October and the standard was really good. So I'll have to perform and put a shift in to manage to get my way into that squad.

"They're all top players. Jason Knight is playing in the Championship, Michael Obefmi is playing Premiership so they're all top players playing at a high standard which would only improve you as a player playing alongside them."

Hodge has rubbed shoulders with in-form Man City and England star Phil Foden at City's £200m Football Academy at Platt Lane. His dream is to play alongside him in Pep Guardiola's first team in the future but for now he's eager to put in the hard yards at Derry City.

"I've trained with Foden since I was pretty young. You think you learn off watching them but you see the speed that they're playing at when you get to play with them. And that's the bar you've got to try and reach if you want to play at that level."

So what's his hopes for the season ahead?

"Right now, for me personally, I just want to play as manby games as I can. I want to start games and show how good I am and experience men's first team football.

"As for the team, I think everyone wants to just get off to a good start and try and win as many games as possible and see where we end up."