Born in Spain, Anselmo Garcia McNulty spent his youth at Real Betis’ academy before moving to Wolfsburg in 2019 but is eligible to represent Ireland through his mother. While he hasn’t ruled out representing Spain, he has played for Ireland at the U15 level through to U21 and looks set to continue the commitment onto senior level should a call-up come his way.
The left-footed centre-back impressed during Wolfsburg U19’s unsuccessful UEFA Youth League campaign in 2021-22 and looks poised to make the step up to senior football soon, having already trained with the Wolfsburg senior team and appeared on the bench a handful of times.
McNulty’s most obvious strength is, well, his strength. Broad-shouldered and standing at around 6’2, he has a physical advantage over nearly every striker he comes up against. He’s not afraid to get into physical duels – he rarely backs off and jockeys attackers, preferring to challenge them as soon as possible. He tends to stay on the opposition striker’s back even when Wolfsburg have the ball higher up the pitch and generally pushes high to avoid allowing him to turn. Almost always higher than his central defensive partner when out of possession, McNulty is the embodiment of the “dog” centre back. This aggressive approach gives his team’s midfielders more liberty in terms of defending counterattacks but occasionally leads to unnecessary fouls or poor positioning in transition.
In possession, McNulty isn’t afraid to attempt incisive, penetrative passes. He rarely recycles the ball back to his goalkeeper or central defensive partner, preferring at the very least to play it forward to the left-back and often to find an advanced midfielder between the opposition’s defensive and midfield lines or a striker behind the defensive line. This ability to quickly turn buildup into a threatening attack is an asset that not many young centre-backs have in their arsenal. But his proclivity to play risky balls so often is a habit that might need to be shaken if he gets a move to a more ball-dominant team that might find itself wanting to maintain possession frequently.
While McNulty is a dominant defender who is very comfortable in possession, he is not without his weaknesses. He can be very shaky when taken on 1v1, often committing far too easily and allowing an opposing attacker to send him one way and go the other. Additionally, his reading of the game can also be questionable. However, he’s very proactive in stepping out of the defensive line to intercept a pass or prevent a receiving attacker from turning; he can be overzealous and is often caught out by a quick layoff and ball in behind. His acceleration over a few yards is also lacking, meaning a quick winger can often beat him when isolated 1v1 out wide.
Ireland’s substantial depth of young central defenders – Andrew Omobamidele, Nathan Collins, and Dara O’Shea- are all 23 or under and have recently impressed for Stephen Kenny’s side. As a result, McNulty’s chances of making any meaningful impression in the first team internationally are slim. His future at club level is also uncertain. Still, he could be a significant asset to many teams in a defensive setup that minimizes his chances of being isolated 1v1 and maximizes his in-possession strengths.
Ronan Manning
Irish Football Blog 