The world according to Chiedozie Ogbene has no clouds. Just blue skies. Like the scene around La Finca resort in Spain this week as the Republic of Ireland squad zipped through training in the morning followed by golf in the afternoon.Turns out, Heimir Hallgrímsson does not believe in double sessions when an early one hits the mark.Some 29-year-old players with 32 caps would see a second-string squad travelling to Spain for a forgettable friendly against Grenada as avoidable. Not Ogbene.“Every player may have their personal reason why they want to take a break but for me, every opportunity I can get to play for this country, I’m always going to take.“It’s not like I’m making a sacrifice, this is something that gives me joy.”That joy is being shared with his younger team-mates Tayo Adaramola and Rory Finneran this week in Murcia.“I’ve been keeping an eye on them. Being one of the leaders here, one of the older players, I just want to make sure that they’re comfortable so they can play the best football they can play.Tayo Adaramola at the Republic of Ireland squad training in Alicante. Photograph: INPHO/Ryan Byrne “Rory’s a phenomenal talent. He’s 18 and you can see he’s playing like someone that’s been playing men’s football for years.“Tayo is very athletic, someone that we’re going to need down on the left flank.[ Jack Moylan’s Ireland rise shows how League of Ireland is reshaping the national teamOpens in new window ]“It doesn’t look like anyone’s out of place. These guys are playing Championship football, League One, they’re professional footballers at the end of the day. I was once like them and some of them are better than I was when I came [to England].”Ogbene’s story has never been a straight road. Cursed by injuries, he should be a bitter man by now. Especially after the sequence of events since Luton Town made him a Premier League player in 2023.When opportunities were rare at Cork City in 2016, he moved to Limerick before Brentford offered him a three-year contract in 2018.Despite many set backs, mainly due to hamstring issues, he eventually excelled at Rotherham United, prompting Luton to give him a chance to terrorise Premier League right backs. He looked like he belonged, even twisting Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold in knots with his pace and unpredictability.The future seemed bright despite Luton’s immediate relegation. Ipswich Town replaced them in the top flight and wasted no time signing the Nigerian-born, Cork-raised winger. The age of Ogbene was upon us. Until he ruptured his Achilles tendon in October 2024. On return from 10 months of rehabilitation, he realised that Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna had no time to wait for him to hit stride again.Ireland's Chiedozie Ogbene and Hungary's Dominik Szoboszlai during last year's world cup qualifier. Photograph: INPHO/Ryan Byrne A loan to Sheffield United did not work out and Ogbene had to play for the club’s under-21s just to prove to Hallgrímsson that he could do a job against Portugal and Hungary last November.His subsequent performances in the World Cup qualifiers have guaranteed him a place in Irish football folklore. He tore his hamstring in Budapest and still managed to return for the playoff loss to the Czech Republic in March.The past two years would break some athletes but Ogbene only sees the positives.“Be patient. To act like a champion daily when you’re not getting any joy, that’s something I really learned because I haven’t been put in that position before. So I really tested my character to be able to do extras, choose to play with the [Sheffield] 21s to make myself available for the national team. And that’s something that I learned about myself.“The way I’m wired I always want to push myself.”Ogbene will return to Ipswich this summer with no guarantee of being allowed to join his Ireland team-mates Dara O’Shea and Jack Taylor in the Premier League.“If Ipswich opt to go for a transitional-based style I would hope that I would be part of the plans. If not, I’ll always be ready for whatever. I think I might be of use in the Premier League with the way I play, the way my game is on the pitch but, listen, I’m always prepared for everything.”A second coming at the elite end of the game is not beyond his reach.“I think the second time around you’re always going to be wiser than the first time. Kieran McKenna is a phenomenal manager, he’s worked at [Manchester] United so he’ll know what’s required.“I don’t know what he’s thinking, but I’m sure Ipswich will be better prepared especially going to the Premier League, coming down, going back up. They’re going to know what’s required and they know the margins are very tight. So I’m sure they’ll be pushing to tighten up in each position.”