McClean has joined Welsh defender James Chester and Northern Irish trio – Jonny Evans, Gareth McAuley and Chris Brunt – as the latest Albion player to reach the Euros with one of the home countries.
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Edin Dzeko was left fuming with the officials following Bosnia-Herzegovina’s defeat to Republic of Ireland in the Euro 2016 play-offs. We are always looking for a bit more quality and retaining the ball a bit better but that’s the history of Irish football.
“Bringing Roy Keane in is as good a decision as I’ve made in quite some time”, said O’Neill.
“The whole team on the pitch are heroes”, Walters said.
It’s unbelievable – I couldn’t have written that script. Thankfully I got to play some games and we’re through. “I couldn’t be more proud of the players”.
“I won’t speak about (the referee) as it would have consequences, but I would like to say the referee did not do his job properly in this game, he said”. I thought then that the points could be crucial.
“Hopefully I will be in the 23 when we go there (to Euro 2016)”. These are the nights that you live for. But I can’t turn the clock back.
However, O’Neill will be delighted with the performance that his side produced as they not only kept it tight at the back to register a clean sheet, but Walters was on hand to add the icing to the cake and secure safe passage to next year’s tournament. We beat Germany so they won’t be a problem – we took care of them so it’s just Spain and the rest of them to worry about! When he first spoke to me, I never hesitated and it’s been justified, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, the same with all the other staff, Seamus McDonagh, Steve Guppy, Steve Walford, all of the other guys in the background.
The Republic of Ireland squad captain was an unused substitute in both legs of the 3-1 aggregate play-off victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina and he knows his days of being a regular starter have passed.
“If they hold me in any sort of regard, it’s minuscule by the comparison to the esteem I hold them in – they’ve been fantastic”.
THE image of Robbie Keane being comforted by his global manager Martin O’Neill in the changing rooms on Monday night painted more than a thousand words.
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“Bar my two wee ones being born, this is the greatest moment of my life”, said the 26-year-old from Derry.
